Memories from Another Time
by nickdaman6
Summary: In our minds are vaults of knowledge, skills, and, most importantly, memories. Yet sometimes we see something unfamiliar, whether they be future events or from someone else's life. What memories are waiting in our brains for a person, a location, or an event to occur to simply awaken them? When he stumbles upon such a location, what stories await the Hero of the Wilds?
1. Chapter 1

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thank you!**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Red Hair and a Blue-Eyed Stare, Part One**

Rain beat the ground in Hyrule Field. It almost seemed like it was solid ice instead of liquid water. Dark, angry clouds covered the sky, with lightning being the only source of light during the unusually dim day. Speeding through the wall of rain was a young man riding a horse at breakneck speed. Close behind him was something no traveler in Hyrule wished to run into.

A guardian.

Its six legs carried the autonomous being quickly over the rolling, grassy hills of Hyrule Field. It only paused in its chase when it tried to aim its laser at the unfortunate traveler. The man disappeared from view, however, before it could fully draw a bead on its target. Then, without a second thought, it began its chase again.

For his part, the traveler had already damaged the guardian to the point where sparks and smoke were emanating from it. Even after all the damage he had caused the machine, it wasn't enough to bring it down.

"Dammit," the cloaked hero known as Link muttered. "Only one arrow left. Faster."

Those were the few, choice words he spoke as he urged on his mount, Epona. Link trusted her implicitly, so he let her ride on without his guidance as he tried to aim at the guardian scrambling behind them. Yet every time he was about to let loose his last ancient arrow at the automaton, it would aim its laser at him. Then, the hero would have to usher his mount faster and break his concentration away from the guardian.

And so this game of cat and mouse continued, neither finding a way to finish the other. That is, until Epona left the hills of Hyrule Field for some rural ruins.

Once Link noticed where his mount was taking him, he gave Epona a grateful pat. "Good job", was all he said as he began formulating a plan in his head.

As soon as they entered the ruins, Link realized it was a ranch of some sort. A sense of familiarity surrounded it, but he shook his head and ignored it for the time being. Epona then began circling the small track located in the middle of the ranch, as if she knew where she was as well. For a moment, Link tried to urge her off of the track. Then, as the guardian came to the middle of the track, the hero had an idea, and let Epona keep racing around the track.

The automaton's head circled around as it tried to shoot the hero and his steed. However, whenever the guardian shot its powerful laser, it would miss by inches. It couldn't catch up with Epona's speed, even at this close of range. That was what Link was counting on.

He patiently waited and timed the duration between the guardian's attacks when it would try to draw a bead on the hero. After the fourth shot, Link had the pattern down.

Immediately, the hero jumped off of Epona. He drew his last ancient arrow and aimed his bow right at the guardian's blue eye, the only weak spot the ancient machines had. Taking a deep breath, he drew back his bowstring. Then, time seemed to slow down as the guardian turned its head to Link. Ever so slowly, inch by inch, the guardian's sole eye came into view. Link waited, and waited, seconds seemed to turn into minutes as he watched for the perfect shot.

When he saw it, he let his final arrow fly.

His aim was true and the arrow flew directly into the guardian's blue eye.

Sparks arced from the guardian's eye, spreading throughout its body. After a few seconds, its six legs gave out simultaneously, causing it to collapse in a metallic heap. Link knew what was going to happen next. As he landed back on Epona, he sped her away. Then, not much later, the guardian exploded in a mixture of blue sparks and red fire. Bits of the monstrous machine were thrown about everywhere, seemingly turning the ranch into a junkyard.

Link turned Epona back to where the machine had been, smiling a little at his handiwork. He dismounted his steed as he came to the scorched earth where the guardian's remains laid. Several gears, screws, and shafts were still intact. The hero gladly helped himself to the machine's remains, knowing they were valuable in different ways.

Once he had sifted through the guardian's remains and was satisfied with what he had found, Link saddled Epona.

He couldn't believe he had been caught by a guardian. Usually, he would go into Hyrule Field by himself without Epona when he needed to. That way he could sneak in and out with little trouble. However, this time he needed to rely on speed, as he was traveling further into the interior of the field than he had before.

And it was all for a memory.

A simple, precious memory that Link desperately needed if he was going to be ready to face Calamity Ganon and save Zelda.

Even though the hero was unhappy about being chased by a guardian, he was glad to be another step closer to regaining his memories about the princess. He needed to know everything he could, and those memories were the key to that.

As Epona approached the entrance of the ranch she suddenly reared on her hind legs, almost bucking Link off. The hero quickly calmed his mount after he was dragged out of his reverie. His steed settled down after a moment, but refused to move every time Link urged her on. Shaking his head, he jumped off of his steed to examine her for any wounds.

As he dismounted Epona, he caught sight of the ranch's entrance. For some reason, he turned his attention to the rotting wood of the ruin's entryway. He squinted his eyes, trying to make out what the sign said.

The hero struggled to read the sign, even as he walked closer to it. When he could read it, he sounded out the rotting words. "L… Lon… Lon… Ranch…"

Then Link's eyes widened as the words caused something in his mind to click. Memories that weren't his immediately made their way into his head. He remained standing, motionless as the rain continued pouring from the sky and pictures from another time sprang to the forefront of his mind.

* * *

The young boy, who could have been no older than eleven, walked through the iron gates of Lon Lon Ranch. They were so familiar to him, and yet not. He didn't know what had happened in this timeline – or what would happen – now that Ganondorf had been stopped after Princess Zelda had sent him back in time.

After returning the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time, and bidding farewell to Navi, he went to warn the princess about the future Ganondorf would create. They went to warn Zelda's father, the King of Hyrule. Willing to trust his daughter, and the words of the bearer of the Triforce of Courage, the king ordered an investigation of Ganondorf's suite. Soon after, the Gerudo was hastily detained by the Hylian Knights after sufficient evidence against him was found. Then, after everything was done, and without thinking about where he could go, the young boy left.

His place wasn't at the castle, and it certainly wasn't back in Kokiri Forest. So he returned to the only place he could have any chance of calling home. Hopefully, the owners would remember him. After all, they did help him and he helped them in turn, so they had to at least remember him for that. If he was still an adult in the future, he could have returned to Lon Lon Ranch without question after all he did.

But this was a different time, meaning it was also a different place.

The boy continued walking through Lon Lon Ranch, offhandedly noticing Ingo working away in the stables while muttering about a sleeping Talon. The Hero of Time rolled his eyes and chuckled, realizing that no matter what time they were in Talon would always be sleeping. Yet, it wasn't either of them he was searching for. No, he knew where he was going, he remembered where he first met her, and on a day like today, she would be there.

As he walked through the ranch's second gate into the corral, he wearily eyed the cuccos that were out grazing for the day, knowing that they were eyeing him back. For whatever reason, cuccos had hated this boy, even he had never done anything to them. Without warning, or mercy, they would attack. So, every time he passed a gathering of cuccos the hero would have to watch out for any sudden movements. Today seemed to be his lucky day, however, as the cuccos continued grazing and let him walk by without incident.

The young boy breathed a sigh of relief as he continued walking towards the corral. His ears twitched at the sound of a familiar song being sung over the breeze. Its descending cadence entranced him. He knew where it was coming from and gladly followed the song to the red-haired girl standing in the middle of the ranch with a young, brown filly. Just as the young hero was hypnotized by the song, so was the horse.

As the boy came closer to the pair, however, the horse snapped out of her trance and noticed the stranger. She whinnied and galloped away. The young girl stopped singing and confusedly stared after the horse, unsure why she had left. Then she turned around and noticed the young boy dressed in green. Instead of being mad at him for scaring her filly away, the redhead smiled.

"Hey, it's you!" she said. "So, followed me all the way from Castle Town, Fairy Boy?"

The use of his nickname made the young boy smile. She did remember him.

"Well, either way, glad you're here! Sorry about Epona, she's skittish around everyone but me." The young girl turned her attention back to the horse. "She only calms down whenever I sing that song. I don't know why, but it works. Here, let me try to get her back here."

Just as the redhead was about to sing her song again, the young hero put his hand on her shoulder, causing her to stop singing before she even began. He smiled at her as he pulled out a blue ocarina. Taking a quick breath, he then played the song the girl was singing only moments ago.

Epona's ears twitched upon hearing the ocarina. She turned away from grazing and studied the boy in green from a distance for a moment. Then, as it happened every time Epona's Song was played, the filly trotted over to its source.

By the time the strange boy had finished playing the song, Epona was standing entranced in front of the young boy and girl again. Once he noticed this, the young hero stretched his hand out to gently stroke Epona's mane.

It was at that moment that the young girl broke out of the trance the song had put her in.

"Wow! That was amazing, Fairy Boy!" she exclaimed with a smile. "Did you pick that all up by just hearing me sing?"

The young boy turned to her and nodded. "Yeah, you could say that," he answered cryptically, not revealing he had learned it from this same girl in a different time.

"That's amazing!"

"Thanks."

"So, can I ask what you're doing here?" the redhead questioned innocently. "It's not often we get visitors who are my age."

"Well, actually…" The young boy immediately became nervous, knowing why he was here and how much he was asking. "I, um… Well, I'm looking for a place to work and live, actually. And I have nowhere else to go. So, I was-"

"Of course!" the redhead cut him off, knowing exactly what he was going to ask her. Even at a young age, she was understanding and intuitive. "We could always use an extra pair of hands. Plus, it'd be nice to have someone here my age. Come on, let's go talk to my dad!"

She dashed off towards the other half of the ranch. Before she made it far, she turned back to the young boy. "Oh, but first, I think we should introduce ourselves properly. After all, it's what friends do and we didn't have the chance in Castle Town." The young girl walked back to him and held out her hand. "I'm Malon, my dad's Talon and I live on Lon Lon Ranch!"

The young hero stared at Malon's outstretched hand for a moment before smiling and reaching out to shake it.

"I'm Link," he greeted.

"Oh yeah, that's what it was! But I think I'll call you Fairy Boy, it's easier to remember. Now come on, let's go talk to my dad!"

Then, she took off towards her house. Link watched Malon for a moment before following her.

And he laughed. For the first time in what seemed like forever, the young hero laughed as he followed the redhead.

* * *

Link, the Hero of the Wilds, was violently thrown back into the present. He opened his eyes, which he hadn't known that he closed. His breaths came in quick, shallow gasps for air. Once he had regained control of himself, he looked back up at the sign.

"What in Hylia's name…?" he said aloud in confusion. "That was like one of Zelda's memories. But that wasn't mine, and Zelda wasn't there."

As his attention returned to the ruined ranch, he began seeing small pictures of him and the redhead he saw in his memory. There were horses, and a bigger man, and a lanky man, and… more. There was much more.

Without even thinking about it, Link walked towards the remains of the ranch. He muttered exactly what he was thinking, "There's more."

* * *

 **Hey y'all, guess I'm back?**

 **I know you guys have been waiting for updates for other fics of mine, but this just popped into my head. So, I decided to use this as an opportunity to get back into writing for this site and as a way to practice. God knows I need it, I'm a bit rusty after my hiatus.**

 **The idea came to me after finding all of the memories in BotW and seeing the ruined state of Lon Lon Ranch. I thought, 'Well, what if Link began seeing memories from other Links when he visited certain locations?' That's my thought, anyway. So, this story will be focusing on Links from all across the Zelda universe, as well as other characters. The first one, as you can tell, is Malon, and it will be going through different stages of their relationship in the form of memories, since I'm pretty sure Malon and Link do end up together after OoT. If that's the case, then these memories would be important to the Hero of Time Link. And since the hero's soul resides in all Links, I figured that, if the memories were strong enough, the Hero of the Wilds Link would see them (don't know if that's BotW Link's official title, but hey, I'm going with it).**

 **Anyway, let me know what y'all think, and if y'all want to see a specific memories between one of the past Links and a major character. Leave a review, a follow, a favorite, and I swear I'll be getting back into my writing soon. Just need time now.**

 **Thank y'all for reading!**

 **Peace,**

 **nickdaman6**


	2. Chapter 2

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thank you!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Red Hair and a Blue-Eyed Stare, Part Two**

The rain continued to pour down on Link as he traversed the ruined ranch. Everywhere he went now, flickers of a memory or images of the past would appear in his head. They were small, nothing similar to what he had just experienced at the entrance.

Whiffs of hay and animals floated past his nose as he passed what appeared to be the remains of a stable. Sounds from different animals rang in his ear every so faintly, like lingering whispers. Yet everywhere he looked, he saw flashes of red and green. They were brief images that the hero couldn't make out fast enough before they vanished. It was then as he examined the front of the ranch that he heard it.

It was faint at first, sounding like the low beat of a drum. As he walked further into the ruins, however, it picked up in volume and tempo. The noise's intensity continued to pick up as Link closed his eyes to focus on the sound. Ever so tentatively, the hero walked every which way, trying to determine where the noise was the most intense. Stepping forward and then back, then forward once more, Link realized the sound was coming from somewhere in front of him.

As the hero continued walking forward he quickly picked up on the familiar sound: it was the beating of horses' hooves. Continuing to walk forward, Link began hearing small whinnies and… that song: the one he had heard in the first memory. It was Epona's Song, Link recalled. It began to rise in volume along with the other noises before they all rose to a fever pitch. Only then did Link open his eyes.

He realized that he was in the middle of the corral. The hero examined his surroundings, hoping to find something that would trigger another of these memories. When he found nothing significant, he let loose a deep sigh. Maybe it was just his imagination playing tricks on him. After all, nothing around him was triggering a memory that wasn't his.

So, with the noises still playing out in his head, he began to walk back towards Epona. He was wasting his time here. Every second he wasted was another second Calamity Ganon would use to become stronger, and another second that Zelda had to fight him alone. Besides, they weren't his memories, so why should he bother trying to search for them? Link wasn't even sure why he tried in the first place. Something just told him to follow the sounds, so he did. His instincts had never failed him before, after all.

"What a waste of time," the hero muttered as he made to exit the corral.

 _Wait._

"Huh?

Link whirled around, swearing he had heard someone speak. There was no one behind him, however, only the ruins of the corral. He squinted his eyes, trying to pick out anything out of the ordinary. Eventually, wisps of red hair began to appear more clearly than before, and a young boy in a green tunic stood in front of her. The hero fully turned to face the scene.

Then, just as before, his eyes widened as the apparition again spoke:

 _Wait._

It was then that another memory began playing out in the Hero of the Wild's mind.

* * *

"Wait, Fairy Boy."

It was the pleading in her voice that caused Link to stop in front of Epona. He turned around to face her. Immediately, he regretted it.

Tears stung the corners of Malon's eyes, tears that she struggled to hold back with all of her might. A look of loss and hurt was etched onto her young face. Her nose and cheeks were both equally red. Whether this was because the young farm girl was angry or for some other reason, Link couldn't guess. All he knew was that Malon was hurt, and just by looking at her, Link shared in her pain.

"Malon," the young hero began, not entirely knowing what else to say.

"Why do you have to leave?"

It was a question that the young farm girl had asked him numerous times since his announcement to go on a journey a week ago.

After Talon had hired Link only a year prior, the young hero had worked hard around Lon Lon Ranch. He tended to much of the manual labor that was required of a ranch hand. Malon would even go so far as to say that he did more work in a day than her father did. Ingo would say that _he_ did the most work, but the disgruntled ranch hand usually complained that Link wasn't doing something right instead.

So, when Talon and Ingo heard that their young ranch hand was leaving for an unknown amount of time, their faces immediately lost color. Most of the work around Lon Lon Ranch would once again fall to them. Once the initial shock passed, however, the owner of Lon Lon Ranch began to feel a sense of loss. After all, Link had been like a son to Talon. Losing him would be like losing a family member. What's worse, his plans for Link and Malon to be married seemed to be completely dashed away by this announcement.

Yet Talon understood. After all, he left the ranch on his own journey when he was younger.

However, it was Malon who was hit hardest by the announcement.

Once Link had announced he was leaving, her entire body went numb. She stared blankly at him as Ingo and Talon started talking about his journey and the work on the ranch. Malon's eyes met Link's. She tried to search them for some sort of joke, or something to tell her that this wasn't happening, that Link wasn't leaving Lon Lon Ranch. But as she did so, Link, like many times during his year at the ranch, read her mind. He knew what she wanted to hear, but all he could do was shake his head.

It was then Malon finally understood what Link's eyes were saying. They said, 'I'm sorry.'

Over the past year Link and Malon had developed a close friendship. Fairy Boy, as Malon called Link constantly, was quiet at first, but slowly opened up to the young farm girl. It wasn't until Link rode Epona for the first time, however, that he finally showed Malon who he was. After he gained Epona's trust, he began trusting Malon as well.

Link told Malon his story not much later. The young farm girl had asked the young hero many times about his earlier life, and where the blue fairy that followed him around had gone. Whenever she asked him about either, Link immediately changed the subject. So, when Link asked Malon to meet him out at the corral one night after dinner, she was curious.

There, under the clear, starry night sky, Link told Malon his story. He told her about the three jewels he had to collect around Hyrule; he told her about confronting Ganondorf for the first time and drawing the Master Sword, thus allowing the evil Gerudo to gain control of the Triforce of Power; he told her about freeing the seven sages across Hyrule and searching for Princess Zelda; and he told her about Navi. He told her everything.

By the time he had finished speaking, it was well into the night. Malon had no clue what to say, but she knew one thing: she believed him. As the farm girl watched the Fairy Boy tell his story, he didn't waiver and told it with conviction. His eyes were far away as he recited his tale. All of this, plus the idea of such an adventure, almost forced Malon to believe Link's story was true.

With almost nothing to say, Malon asked Link the one question that had been on her mind for some time.

"Who was Navi? You talk about her a lot."

This brought Link back to the present. All he did was smile and shook his head.

"A friend," he responded simply. "But I'll tell you about her another time, okay?"

Malon, now smiling as well, nodded her head. "Okay!"

From then on, Link and Malon met in the corral almost every night after dinner. Sometimes the young hero would regale his friend with tales of the past and stories about Navi. Other times, Link would play the ocarina and Malon would sing. While other times, they just laid in the middle of the corral and watched the stars.

These nights were the true starting point of Link and Malon's relationship. They learned many things about each other quickly, causing them to become close friends.

Yet now that friendship was over, or so Malon thought as she stood there in front of the departing hero.

"Why do you have to leave?" Malon repeated.

Link turned his attention to the ground, unable to work up the courage to look Malon in the eye. He simply mumbled, "For Navi."

"Oh," was all Malon said in response.

The answer did not surprise Malon in the slightest. Every word Link had told her about the blue fairy had been filled with longing and loss. The Fairy Boy had missed Navi more than anything. Though young, Malon knew that Link had to find the fairy. She was his closest friend, after all.

A silence fell between Link and Malon as they both retreated into their thoughts, unsure of what to say next. After what seemed like hours of silence, the young farm girl asked something that had been on her mind ever since Link had told his story to her.

"What was I like in the future? What… were we like it?"

Link's head immediately snapped up to face Malon. She eyed him with conviction, unwilling to back down this time from her questions.

When the young hero had told Malon his story, he glossed over the details of her, Talon, Ingo, and Lon Lon Ranch. All the young farm girl really knew about her future self was that she let Link borrow Epona.

The young hero smiled softly. The rest of his features calmed as well. Then, taking Malon by surprise, Link hugged her. After not knowing what to do for a split second, Malon hugged her friend back. She finally couldn't hold back her tears anymore, letting them fall freely down her face.

"I'll make you a promise," Link whispered into Malon's ear. "When I return, I'll tell you what you and I were like in the future."

"You promise?" Malon hiccupped in between her tears.

"Yes."

"Okay."

Malon gently left Link's arms and rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hands.

"You better be back as soon as you find Navi, understand?" Malon lectured after wiping her tears away.

"I understand," Link said with a chuckle. His smile disappeared. "I'm going to miss you Malon."

The young farm girl, feeling a rush of courage, surprised Link with a kiss to the cheek.

"I'm going to miss you, too," Malon replied, her cheeks becoming increasingly red.

Link, likewise, was blushing from the sudden act of affection. He was stuck in his spot, several incoherent thoughts bouncing back and forth in his head. Malon giggled at her friend's reaction.

"Now go, Fairy Boy. I want to hear what happened to me in the future."

The young hero only nodded in response before mounting Epona. He ushered the chestnut filly forward. As the duo approached the exit to Lon Lon Ranch, Link turned around to see Malon and Talon waving good-bye, while Ingo had his back turned to the scene. The young hero waved back before urging Epona into a gallop.

As Talon and Ingo went back to work, Malon stood unmoving from her spot. She stayed that way for a while longer before realizing the sun was setting. A sole tear trailed down her cheek as she left to go start dinner.

With one last glance at the entrance to Lon Lon Ranch, the young farm girl muttered, "Please stay safe out there, Fairy Boy."

* * *

The Hero of the Wilds opened his eyes as he left the unfamiliar memory. He raised his hand to his head, a small headache beginning to form. Past memories hadn't given Link a headache before, but then again, these weren't necessarily his memories. It was safe to say that seeing these outside thoughts were having an impact on him.

The headache passed shortly after the hero regained control of his body. Once it had, he began searching for other familiar sites or people. He turned around, examining each ruin to see if any of them triggered another memory. That was when he saw him.

Link was taken by surprise, at first. Seeing another person this close to Hyrule Castle was rare. However, once his shock had passed, the hero noticed something familiar about the figure.

As he walked closer to Link, the hero could pick out more details about the figure. It was a man that much was certain. He had blond hair and blue eyes, much like Link. He wore a green tunic that appeared similar to the description of the Hero's Tunic of old. And covering his head was an odd green cap.

It was then Link realized who he was staring at. Though older, his appearance was extremely similar to that of the young boy he saw in the memories, and his facial features were eerily similar to Link's. The Hero of the Wilds didn't know how it was possible, but the figure had to have been…

"She's a wild one, isn't she? Always was," the man spoke fondly, catching Link off-guard. He didn't realize the figure was that close to him. "It's… good to see her again, after all this time."

After only receiving a blank stare in response, the figure gently smiled before realizing he had forgotten to introduce himself.

"I'm guessing you already know who I am, but to clear things up: yes, I am your ancestor. I am the Hero of Time, Link."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Here's the second chapter! Hope you guys like it!**

 **Also, I got some suggestions for other characters to do with this fic. Now, before I continue, if anyone else has a suggestion for interactions between past Links and a major character, let me know! But what I also want to know is if y'all would want this fic to focus on one Link and character then move on; or switch stories in the middle of other stories. It'd cause confusion, but it would be a lot more of the different Zelda characters being showcased.**

 **Anyway, let me know what y'all think! Leave a review, a follow, and a favorite! Also, told y'all I'd be back to writing!**

 **Thank y'all for reading!**

 **Peace,**

 **nickdaman6**


	3. Chapter 3

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thank you!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Red Hair and a Blue-Eyed Stare, Part Three**

"You're… the Hero of Time…?"

Link stared in bewilderment at the phantom standing in front of him. It was a hard concept to grasp: here, in front of him, was a man who had single-handedly defeated the evil Thief-King Ganondorf thousands of years ago. More importantly, he was claiming to be the Hero of the Wilds' distant ancestor. All of this was hard to come to terms with, yet Link tried his best to do so. After all, it wasn't the strangest thing he had seen on his journey; that would have to go to the Lord of the Mountain.

The ghostly image of the past hero nodded his head. "Correct," he simply confirmed.

"Okay… let's say you are the Hero of Time, why, or better yet, how are you here?" Link asked, confused as to why of all times a vestige of a long forgotten hero was appearing before him. Though he was trying his best to wrap his head around the idea of the Hero of Time being here, it seemed highly unlikely, which put the Hero of the Wilds on edge.

"Well, in the simplest of terms, I'm a part of you, or at least a small part of you," the Hero of Time answered. "Every hero of our bloodline carriers a piece of the heroes before them. What that piece is depends on the hero."

"Then what's your piece?"

The Hero of Time smiled sadly. "Regret."

"Regret?" Link repeated, confused by the answer.

"Yes. Come with me."

The Hero of Time began walking back to the entrance of the ruined ranch. After a brief moment of hesitation the Hero of the Wilds joined him, following behind the ghost.

"Let me ask you something: why do you think I have only appeared now and have only watched your journey from afar?" the Hero of Time questioned.

"I've been wondering that myself," the Hero of the Wilds commented through gritted teeth, irritated that he had received no help from his recently discovered 'past selves.' "Why?"

"The answer's simple really: you have come to a spot where the part of me in you has a strong enough connection to it that I have become manifest in this world again. Well… perhaps it isn't that simple," the past hero replied with a smirk.

"Yeah, your definition of simple is pretty different from mine," Link affirmed.

"Sorry, but that is how I and the other parts of the hero's soul have come to describe it. After a few millennia, you begin to understand it."

"Will I meet the others?"

The Hero of Time stopped by the ruined house and stable, a thoughtful sound coming from him. "In time, perhaps. If you can find places that hold a strong enough connection to them." His tone changed from one of curiosity to… regret. "But for now, you only see me, and it's time to see my memories once more."

"Wait, before I do that, I have one more question to ask you." Link waited for the Hero of Time to turn his attention to him. When he did, he gave the Hero of the Wilds a curt nod, allowing him to continue. "Why is it that I need to see these memories?"

At this, the Hero of Time smirked. "Well, let's just say that having knowledge of our past experiences will help you. In more ways than one, I'm sure."

Once the past hero had finished speaking, images of a familiar red-haired girl began to appear in Link's vision. The image flickered between her and the Hero of Time for a few moments before another memory took over the Hero of the Wilds.

* * *

How long had it been? One and half…? No, almost two years now.

That's right, it had been two years since Malon's Fairy Boy and Epona had left her. She kept track of the days almost religiously, and made sure to make note of how long the pair had been gone.

They had been gone too long, in Malon's opinion.

She stood at the entrance of Lon Lon Ranch that day, like she had at the end of every day for the past two years. As the sun set and after her chores were finished, Malon stood by herself at the exact same spot eagerly awaiting the return of her two closest friends.

In all honesty, the young ranch girl never expected that she would be waiting two years for their return. She always thought they'd be back within half a year, if that. That's why she had kept track of the days so rigorously. When that day marking half a year came, Fairy Boy and Epona did not. That day in particular, she stayed up all night until the cold air forced her to retreat back inside.

Then, she thought that they would return on the anniversary of their departure. After all, who would be on a journey longer than that? Apparently, Link and Epona. Again, she kept track of the days, again she became excited when the expected date was just around the corner, and again she was let down as neither of her two friends returned. She stayed by the entrance to Lon Lon Ranch until the sun rose the next day that time.

Eventually, she started to give up. She kept count of the days, but less so than before. At some points, she lost track of the days and worried that she would forget how long it had been since Fairy Boy and Epona's departure. However, she quickly regained count and continued her stoic watch at the end of the work day, eagerly awaiting their return. Yet it was around this time that Malon began to worry.

She worried about whether or not her Fairy Boy and Epona were okay; she worried about whether they had truly left her alone at Lon Lon Ranch by choice, and that they would never return; she worried that she would forget about both of them some day; and, most of all, she worried that she would never get to tell Link how she truly felt about him.

It began only a handful of days after the journeying duo left. After she had kissed the hero on the cheek goodbye, an unfamiliar feeling began appearing in her heart.

Malon questioned her father about it, and he simply guffawed and exclaimed, "Ah, to be young again."

This left the ranch girl more confused than usual. When she asked Ingo about it, he stared at her in astonishment. "You love that damn kid…?" The older ranch hand flew into a fit after that and stomped out of the stables muttering to himself. He left behind an even more confused Malon in his wake.

Love? Was that what she felt? Malon couldn't deny it, every time she thought about the Fairy Boy, her heart skipped a beat. She also felt warm and fuzzy every time she thought of the young hero. It was a new feeling she had never dealt with. Once she had thought on it for a while, she realized that she was in love with the Fairy Boy. Of course, after having thought about it, she also realized that the young hero may not feel the same way about her. Whether he did or not, however, she would tell him. Malon at least needed him to know.

The young ranch girl also noticed her father becoming increasingly worried. He wasn't just worried about the young ranch hand he had taken in, he was also worried about his sole child's wellbeing.

Though her health hadn't dwindled – yet – Talon was more worried about the repercussions if Link didn't return to Lon Lon Ranch. Whether it was due to his own choice or not, if the young ranch hand didn't return, Talon was afraid about what would happen to Malon. He tried several times being realistic with her and preparing his daughter for the worst. Yet every time he did so, her faith in Link returning seemed to strengthen.

She would mutter, "I just know he's coming back. I just know it."

It was this assurance by his daughter that had surprisingly kept Talon's hopes higher than they should have been. She seemed to have some sixth sense telling her that her "knight in shining armor," as Talon had taken to calling Link, would return.

And that assurance was particularly strong this day. Malon had woken up, tended to her chores quickly, and took up her post at the Lon Lon Ranch entrance much earlier than previous days. In fact, she had been there for almost a quarter of the day already. All on some instinct telling her that her Fairy Boy and Epona would return today.

As the sun set, however, and the blue of the sunlit sky began to darken into a moonlit night, Link still had not returned. Yet Malon still stood there with her resolve, waiting for the return of her Fairy Boy.

Talon stayed up with Malon that night too, having been begged to stay up just a bit longer when he had come out to put his daughter to bed. The older rancher couldn't deny his daughter, so he thought he would stay out here with her until she fell asleep. What a foolish decision that was. At this point, Talon would have been lucky if he woke up at all tomorrow.

"Come on, Mal," Talon said in between yawns. "I think it's time to go to sleep."

"No, dad!" Malon retorted agitatedly. "He's coming, and I want to be here when he comes home!"

"Mal, I don't know if he's comin'," Talon said with a sigh. It was true, it had been two years. At this point, it was best to move on. "I think we need to realize he won't be returnin'."

The news didn't set well with Malon, who stamped her foot on the ground. "He's coming back! I know he is… he promised…" Tears stung at the corner of Malon's eyes, threatening to spill over as for the first time since he had left, the young ranch girl began to doubt her Fairy Boy. "He promised…"

The old rancher knelt down to Malon's height and rubbed her back comfortingly. "I know, Mal. I know. But sometimes, something else keeps us from those promises," Talon comforted his daughter as best he could. "And there's nothin' we can do 'bout it. I'm sorry."

"B-but… he promised…!" Malon said in between sniffles, still not accepting the fact that Link wouldn't be coming back. The young ranch girl crumpled onto her knees in defeat, openly crying now.

Talon sighed. He picked up his daughter gently, cradling her. "Come on, darlin', let's get to bed."

With no objection, the small family of father and daughter turned to their equally small house to finally end the day.

Just as Talon was about to open the door, a faint whinny echoed from Lon Lon Ranch's entrance. Both Malon and Talon turned towards the entrance, surprised that anyone was riding in so late. The young farm girl immediately jumped out of her father's arms and ran to the entrance. She smiled now amidst the tears still streaming down her face.

As she approached the entrance, a grown yet familiar horse ran into the ranch. Coming to Malon, it stopped and reared on its hind legs before settling down. The young ranch girl immediately recognized the horse thanks to her reddish-brown coat and white mane. It could only have been Epona.

"Epona!" Malon exclaimed, immediately going to pet the horse's snout affectionately. "You're back!"

Epona didn't calm down at Malon's touch, however, confusing the young teenage girl. She didn't know what was wrong with her horse, but then turned her attention to the saddle. For a brief moment, happiness took over Malon. There, on the saddle, was the familiar green tunic of Fairy Boy. _Her_ Fairy Boy.

That happiness quickly turned into worry. Link's body was doubled over on Epona's saddle, and his eyes were closed in a pained expression. Judging by Epona's frantic neighing and Link's appearance, something was clearly wrong.

"Fairy Boy?" Malon asked cautiously as she approached him. She shook Link, trying to wake him up. "Fairy Boy!?" When he didn't respond, Malon turned to Talon. "Dad! It's Fairy Boy! Something's wrong with him!"

Talon, stunned by Link's return, snapped back into reality and rushed to Malon's side. He checked the young hero for a pulse, finding one easily. Thankfully, the young teenage boy was still alive. There was still something wrong with him, however. That's when Talon noticed a stain of red on Link's otherwise green tunic.

"Malon, go get a needle and thread, and a basin. Fill it with hot water and bring a towel. Link's injured," Talon told his daughter as he focused his attention on Link. He lifted the young hero from Epona's saddle and carried him just as he carried Malon only moment ago.

Malon, whose face had been completely drained of color, didn't waste a second before springing into action. She quickly went inside the ranch house and collected everything her father had told her to collect. By the time she had everything, Talon had returned inside the house, cleared everything off of the dining table, and set Link on top of it.

Stumbling down the stairs at that moment was Ingo, who had until recently been sleeping and enjoying a certain dream.

"The hell's goin' on?" he asked through yawns. He rubbed his eyes, trying to fully wake himself.

"Ingo! Good, yer awake. I need you to go bring Epona into the stables and take care of her," Talon ordered.

"Wait, Epona?" This woke up the distant Gorman brother. "Does that mean…?"

"Yes, Link's back, but he's in bad shape. Please, take care of Epona. You can go back to sleep after."

"Fine, fine. A g'mornin' would be nice…" Ingo mumbled as he stomped out of the house to take care of Epona.

After he left, Malon and Talon immediately went to work on Link. "Alright, Mal, we're gonna have to take his tunic off. Help me out."

As quickly as they could, they undid the belt holding Link's tunic to his frame. Then, they pulled the green tunic over the young boy's head, removing it off of his body. There, on his side abdomen, was a deep gash bleeding profusely.

If there was any color left in Malon's face, it was all gone now. Tears, ones that she had just finished crying, reappeared on the brims of her eyes. Talon, meanwhile, kept a stoic expression. He immediately reached for the towel his daughter brought him and dipped it in the bin of hot water.

The rancher went to work cleaning Link's wounds, remaining silent and focusing on healing the poor boy. As he neared completion of cleaning the wound, he asked Malon to string thread through the eye of a needle. She didn't need to be asked twice and threaded the needle quickly, handing it to her father when he was done cleaning around Link's wound.

Talon took the needle and immediately went about stitching Link's wound, hoping that it wasn't too deep. If it was, then there was nothing else he could do and the boy would most likely die, but he didn't tell Malon that. After a few minutes of stitching, the wound was closed shut. Talon snipped at the remaining thread with his teeth and threw the needle into the water basin.

He stood back to examine his work. Once he was satisfied, he picked up Link. He climbed up the stairs and walked to the spare room they kept at the end of second-floor hallway, Link's room. The bed was still there, so he gently laid the young hero on it.

Malon, who had followed her father up the stairs, now waited outside the door. Talon walked out soon after he laid Link down and turned his tired gaze to his daughter. "That's the best we can do for him now, Mal. The rest is up to him."

"I-is there nothing we can do…?" Malon asked, thinking they had to be something she could do to help her Fairy Boy.

"Not much, except let him rest."

"Then, I'll stay with him," she replied definitely.

Talon smiled, expecting this from his daughter. "I thought you might say that. It'd be nice for him to see a friendly face when he wakes. But if you're gonna do that, then I want you to keep him cool with some water. I'm sure he's already got a fever of some kind. I'll go get it for ya."

Talon walked downstairs to get cold water and another towel. As soon as he disappeared from view, Malon walked slowly into the room. She sat next to Link. Her fingers moved by themselves, clearing some of his blond locks away from his sweaty forehead. She caressed his cheek for a moment. Then, not knowing what else to do, she began singing.

She sung Epona's Song with all hear heart for her Fairy Boy.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Why, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that is a cliffhanger! Well yes, yes it is. After all, suspense is key in writing, might a well make use of it. Oh, also, friendly reminder, remember how the Hero of Time's Link said he felt regret. Well… Nah, ain't gonna spoil that for y'all. I'll let you guys make your own guesses, heh. Evil writer is evil.**

 **Anyway, thank y'all for reading! I cranked this one out really fast since I know you guys probably wanted another chapter. 3,000 words in two hours… Jesus… But it was fun to write! Plus, I get to see y'all squirm as you think about the cliffhanger. Muhaha!**

 **Now, onto my last announcement, I will be finishing up this part of the fic before moving onto another character. I've gotten some response to what people want to see and have an idea of what I'm gonna do next. I'll probably work on it when inspiration strikes, but gonna get through the Hero of Time and Malon's story first, then move on. Hope that works for y'all!**

 **If that works for y'all, let me know! If your impatient and want me to do it differently, let me know! And if there's anyone else y'all want to see that hasn't been mentioned in the reviews yet, well let me know! Otherwise, follow, favorite, let me know what you think about the cliffhanger! I better be ready for some of those reviews… Mentally prepare yourself, man, mentally prepare yourself. Again, thank y'all for reading!**

 **Peace,**

 **nickdaman6**


	4. Chapter 4

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thank you!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Red Hair and a Blue-Eyed Stare, Part Four**

Rain fell down softly from the dark, grey clouds. It made the day seem somber, more so than it already was. Of course a day like today could be described as much more; eventful, catastrophic, horrific, nightmarish, but Malon would choose somber. Tears fell freely from her eyes, they had been for hours now. From an outsider perspective, it would seem the rain was causing the young ranch girl to cry; but in actuality, it was Malon's crying that made the rain fall much like her tears.

There was a small ensemble of individuals gathered just outside of Lon Lon Ranch.

Ingo, usually so impatient, stood still with a blank look on his face. There was no sadness in his eyes, no anger, no melancholy, only the emotionlessness that came with the sudden realization that seemed to neither wholly impact his life or be truly insignificant to him.

Talon stood stoically by Malon's side, head bowed in reverence. He made sure he held his tears in for the moment, making sure to be an anchor for his grieving daughter. After all, her former anchor who had meant so much to the young ranch girl was no longer around. The rancher held on to Epona's reins as well, making sure the still-young horse wouldn't run away. However, it almost seemed like Epona would stay no matter what. Even after the rest of the party had gone back to the ranch, it felt as if the young mare would stay vigilant and watch over the grave.

Yes, a grave, Malon realized. She still couldn't believe it, but it was the last resting place of her Fairy Boy that they were now surrounding.

Ingo and Talon had come in the day after Link returned to find a sobbing Malon laying her head on Link's chest. When her father went to see what was wrong, he immediately noticed that the young hero's chest was utterly still. He picked up one of Link's wrists, feeling for any trace of life. Along with the deathly cold that was unfamiliar to most living humans, Talon felt no trace of a pulse.

This could only mean that Link had passed on.

They didn't waste any time in moving the young man's body. Ingo and Talon went about burying the small body in a shallow grave, the same one they now stood at. It didn't take long, and they were able to coax Malon out of the ranch to attend a short funeral for the young hero. It was best that the young ranch girl received closure as soon as possible.

Yet, as Malon stared through tear-filled eyes at the grave, she realized he deserved more. Her Fairy Boy deserved so much more.

He deserved to live.

But whether he lived or died wasn't up to Malon, as she would later realize. That choice belonged to the goddesses, who she hoped had a reason for taking Link away so early in his life.

After a short eulogy by Talon, he and Ingo both left. They tried to coax Epona and Malon to join them, but neither would budge. Realizing it was futile, Talon handed Epona's reins to his daughter, who took them so that the young mare would stay by her side. With that, the two ranchers left to tend to what duties they could at Lon Lon Ranch.

All the while, Malon stayed out under the darkening skies, crying along with the rain. Inside she felt a terrible depression that hurt her heart more than anything else. The young ranch girl hadn't even felt this way after her own mother had passed away, having been too young to fully understand what death was. Yet now, all of her grief, sorrow, and pain had surfaced, leaving her a cold, crying, numb shell of her former self.

Malon's depression only worsened as she stood there, staring at Link's grave. She had waited so long for her Fairy Boy to return. Now, he was gone. She would never be able to tell him how much she missed him; she would never be able to enjoy singing with him; and she would never be able to tell him how she truly felt.

This last thought alone caused a fresh cascade of tears to flow down her face. Malon collapsed onto her knees, her frame giving out from the grief. She couldn't handle it, she didn't want admit it. Her Fairy Boy was gone, but she couldn't come to terms with it. Epona nudged Malon with her nose, causing the young ranch girl to hug her only remaining friend. It seemed as if she would never let go of the young mare, scared that she would disappear from her life as well.

It took her another hour before the tears ceased and she calmed down enough to think coherently. She released her grip on Epona and wiped away a few of her tears.

"I-I'm sorry Fairy Boy. I'm sorry w-we couldn't save you," Malon said in between hiccups. "If only I could've done… done something more. But all I could do was sing that stupid song!"

A new wave of tears threatened to fall from Malon's eyes, but she held them back as best as she could. She still couldn't do anything for Link now, but she didn't want to leave him here without something that showed how she felt. He deserved so much more than that.

So, standing up, Malon took a few deep breaths and tried to calm herself as best as she could.

Before she began, Malon admitted something that she had always thought to have been the truth. Something that meant that she truly did love Link:

"You will always by my Fairy Boy."

Then, just as she had the night before, Malon sang Epona's Song.

She sang a solemn requiem for her departed Fairy Boy.

* * *

Malon's head snapped up from where she was sleeping. A scream threatened her lips, but the sudden shock caused her to stifle it. Instead she began taking quick, shallow breaths as she re-associated herself with reality. She examined the dark room around her in confusion. It wasn't until her gaze landed on Link sleeping in the bed in front of her that Malon realized she had been having a nightmare.

She covered her face with her hands, tears of relief stinging at her eyes. "Oh thank the goddesses," she mumbled quietly. "It was just a dream… it was just a dream…" she repeated in a reassuring mantra.

Malon removed her hands from her face. She smiled, relieved beyond measure that what she just witnessed was only a nightmare.

After a few minutes, Malon had regained control of her breathing and had calmed down. She didn't even realize that she had fallen asleep. The last thing she remembered was singing Epona's Song for Link. She must had been more exhausted than she thought. Even now, as she was just waking up, she felt the warm embrace of sleep once more.

Without leaving her seat, she laid her head on one of her hands, using it as a pillow. The young ranch girl glanced up from her position on Link's bed to the young hero himself. She smiled lightly and grasped one of the hero's hands with her free hand. Then she closed her eyes and let herself fall asleep.

* * *

When Malon woke up next, the room she had fallen asleep in was now washed in the hues of the early morning light peering through the dwelling's sole window. Still exhausted from all that had happened the previous night, it took a few minutes before the young ranch girl fully opened her eyes. Her head still laid on Link's bed. She sat up in her chair, immediately feeling an ache in her back and neck from sleeping in such an uncomfortable position. But it was worth it, if she was able to watch over her Fairy Boy.

Malon examined the bed in front of her, only now realizing something that her recently-awoken mind hadn't. When she did, the young ranch girl immediately went into a panic.

Her Fairy Boy wasn't in his bed.

She began frantically searching around the room, not seeing hide nor hair of the young hero she was tasked to look after. When Malon couldn't find Link, she stood from her chair and bolted out of the room. Her nightmare came to the front of her mind. If her Fairy Boy wasn't there, then could he be…?

No, Malon couldn't think like that right now. She needed to find her Fairy Boy, after all her father couldn't have taken him far. Maybe Talon had placed him in another room? The young ranch girl wasn't sure why he would do that, but it was a small hope that she clung onto dearly as she treaded down the stairs to ask her father what happened to the hero.

As she turned to the kitchen at the bottom of the stairs, Malon halted in her tracks. There, eating breakfast with her father and Ingo as if nothing had happened, was her Fairy Boy.

His appetite was as veracious as ever, showing that some things hadn't changed since Malon had last seen him. Link was acting like nothing had happened, enjoying a conversation with Talon about what had been going on at Lon Lon Ranch. Eventually, Link noticed Malon staring dumbfounded at him.

He waved at the young ranch girl. "Good morning, Malon!"

This snapped Malon out of her trance. Immediately, she clenched her fists and slowly stomped over to the dining table.

As she did so, Talon realized where this was going, as did Ingo. They both stood from their seats and made their way to the door to begin the day's work.

Before leaving, Talon waved at the confused Link and said, "Good luck with her, lad."

Then, the rancher closed the door, leaving Link and Malon alone. Turning away from the door, the young hero came face to face with an angry-looking Malon. A cold sweat formed on the back of Link's neck as he realized he had done something wrong.

"H-hey, Malon," he stuttered.

"'Hey'? You've been gone for two years and that's all you have to say to me!" Malon exclaimed in exasperation.

"Um… yes?"

"You had me worried, Fairy Boy! I was scared that you would never come back!" Malon yelled, tears appearing in the corners of her eyes. "I was scared that you left me here alone! That you didn't care about me. T-that… that you… that I…"

Malon couldn't finish her sentence as she began to violently cry. She threw her arms around Link's neck and pulled him into an embrace. This caught the young hero off-guard. He quickly regained composure, however, smiling and returning the hug. It didn't take an idiot to realize what Malon was saying.

"Shh, it's okay, Mal. I'm back for good," Link cooed softly into Malon's hair.

"Y-you promise?" Malon said in between sniffles.

"Yes, Mal. I promise. I won't leave you like that again."

The pair stayed like that for a while, both happy to be reunited with the other. After Malon had calmed down, Link took a deep breath and spoke into her hair, "Let's go to the corral, I could use the fresh air."

Malon, emotions still high, could only nod. The pair broke apart from each other and made their way to the center of the corral. There, they sat down to watch the clouds lazily drift through the sky. Both teens were silent for a few moments, collecting their thoughts.

They were nervous, yet neither of them could see it in the other; they were too focused on themselves and over-analyzing the situation to notice. To an outside observer, it was clear what was about to happen, but to these young teens, they didn't know how to take the next step in their conversation. After all, it had been two years since they saw each other, what was there to say? That's when Malon realized there may have been _nothing_ to say.

Forgoing direct words and relying on her actions, Malon turned to Link and asked, "Fairy Boy?"

The hero turned his head to the ranch girl. "Hm?"

Then, without warning, the red-head gave her Fairy Boy a light kiss. It only lasted a second, but it meant the world to Malon. She didn't know how to express her feelings in words, so in a moment of courage – a similar moment to that one two years ago – Malon gently pressed her lips to Link's. Once they broke apart, she turned away from her friend to hide the red blush quickly spreading across her cheeks.

"Promise… you won't leave again…?" Malon mumbled through her hair, which she was hiding behind.

Though the ranch girl couldn't see it, Link was smiling softly. He placed his hand on Malon's, receiving her attention once again. Slowly, Link closed the distance between the pair and kissed her once again. Where their first kiss had been quick and cut short, this one was deeper. It was as if their first kiss expressed how they felt, but the second kiss reaffirmed and solidified their feelings. They knew what they were to each other now.

Once they broke away, Link and Malon's foreheads touched in a caring motion. The young hero whispered only loud enough for either of them to hear, "I won't leave you again. After all, I'm your Fairy Boy."

Then, as if nothing had changed in the two years Link had been gone, the pair began animatedly talking to each other. The hero relayed some of the stories from the time he was gone, speaking of a faraway land known as Termina. Malon, meanwhile, regaled him with the exciting tales of her time on the ranch. All the while, they sat in the middle of the corral, hand-in-hand, happy they were together again.

* * *

The Hero of the Wilds opened his eyes slowly, leaving the memory much more calmly than the previous ones. He stared at the ghost of the Hero of Time in front of him. His face was watching the ground, blond bangs covering his eyes. Though he didn't know exactly what his ancestor had gone through, Link understood where it was most likely going.

"So, she meant a lot to you?" the Hero of the Wilds began.

"More than you could ever know," the Hero of Time replied, still not facing Link.

The younger hero scoffed. "Trust me, I think I have a pretty good idea."

"You'll see," was all his ancestor said in return. He finally lifted his head up to look at Link. "I saw what you saw, by the way. Thought I'd clear that up. Never knew that dream of hers was that vivid…"

"I figured you could see all of that. It is your memory after all, but… how was I able to see a memory from Malon?" Link asked, unsure how he saw someone else's dream. The Hero of the Wilds was still coming to terms with being able to see his ancestor's memories, now he had to deal with Malon's?

"That's actually a simple one," the older hero answered with a smirk. When his younger counterpart eyed him skeptically, he added, "No, really. It's not like how I said everything else was simple, this one really is. To put it bluntly, she told me about the dream not long after I returned to Lon Lon Ranch. Then, it became a part of my memory. Yet I never saw it that clearly before…" The Hero of Time raised a hand to his chin in thought. "Interesting…"

"Alright, so I can see other people's memories now, anything else I need to know?"

"Not from me, but I'm sure you'll learn more about these memories as you meet the other parts of the hero's soul." The Hero of Time gestured for the Hero of the Wilds to follow him. "Come on, there's only a couple more memories to show you."

Without hesitation, Link followed the ghostly apparition. Whatever these memories held in store for the Hero of the Wilds, he knew one thing was for certain: he would soon learn why the Hero of Time felt nothing but regret.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **That's right, I tricked y'all! Or, hopefully I did. I wrote up that first scene just so you guys would say "Wait, what!? This can't be happening!" I told you, the Hero of Time feels a lot of regret about his past. Y'all will soon learn the true reason why though, I promise. Again, I'm evil, if y'all hadn't already noticed. Hoped you liked the mini heart attack I gave you guys. Heh heh…**

 **Anyway, as always thank y'all for reading up to this point! Let me know if y'all want me to do anything particular, though I have a pretty good idea of where this is gonna go next. I'm thinking after the next section, I'll put a poll on my page to see what everyone wants next.**

 **Otherwise, I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter and are enjoying the concept of this fic so far! Leave a review, a follow, or a favorite! Whichever one y'all like! Until next time…**

 **Thank y'all for reading!**

 **Peace,**

 **nickdaman6**


	5. Chapter 5

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thank you!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Red Hair and a Blue-Eyed Stare, Part Five**

Link and his ancestor, the Hero of Time walked past the ruined gate of what used to be Lon Lon Ranch into Hyrule Field. Weary of possible enemies, the Hero of the Wilds partially unsheathed his sword, ready to use it if need be. Yet, as the pair of heroes travelled further and further away from the ranch ruins, Link realized the lack of noise around them.

The birds had stopped singing; animals halted in their rustling and scavenging to watch them; and even bokoblins hid in the shadows and trees, not even charging after Link. They just stared them with their pale eyes, watching and waiting. What for, the Hero of the Wilds had no clue, though he assumed that it had something to do with the Hero of Time. When he realized this, he fully sheathed his sword; however, he still kept his wits about him, ready for a surprise attack from the monsters.

Before he knew it, the Hero of the Wilds realized that the Hero of Time had led them to a small grove of trees just east of the ranch.

It was quite peaceful and seemed to be separated from the rest of the world. Eventually, the pair arrived at a clearing surrounded by trees, yet made of a flattened-out plot of earth, with a few Silent Princesses highlighting the grove. Though no trees were growing from the clearing, the boughs of the surrounding trees created a roof of branches, blocking the view of the grey sky and protecting the secluded spot from rain. Little wasps of light floated in and out of view, lighting the dimmed environment. It had an ethereal beauty to it, one that the Hero of the Wilds hadn't seen since visiting the Lost Woods.

"Here." The Hero of Time spoke the single word while standing in the middle of the clearing. Link hadn't realized his ancestor had moved, having been too enraptured by the secluded world of the grove.

Without further hesitating, Link walked to where the Hero of Time stood. Once again, he heard the giddy laughter of Malon and saw wisps of green and red everywhere he turned. Yet this time, the laughter sounded breathier, more mature; and the wisps appeared to be taller and older.

"What am I seeing now…?" the Hero of the Wilds asked, clueless as to how this grove had anything to do with Lon Lon Ranch, Malon, or the Hero of Time.

His ancestor smiled wistfully, seemingly already reliving the memory himself. "You will see shortly. This is… one of my most precious memories of Malon… and one of the happiest days of my life."

As the Hero of Time finished speaking, the Hero of the Wilds once again felt the familiar headache of an encroaching memory fall upon him. Slowly – unlike the previous memories – he lost himself to the delicate smell of a red-headed ranch girl and the soft stare of her blond, green suited knight-in-shining-armor.

* * *

Autumn had taken hold of Hyrule, turning the many trees different hues of orange, red, and yellow. The ground, once full of green grass, now had a layer of warm colored leaves blanketing it. Animals had started to emerge from the forests surround Hyrule Field to feast one last time before retreating to the woods to hibernate through the long winter. The sun shone with less intensity than it had only a month or two previously, now providing the land with a pleasant balance of a delightfully warm atmosphere and an equally delightful cool breeze. It was for these reasons, amongst many others, that Malon loved the season of autumn most of all.

However, as the young woman gazing out the window and simply enjoyed the season, there was one specific reason this particular autumn stood out to Malon.

She raised her left hand and stared at her ring finger, once again analyzing the ring that now laid upon it. It shone in the temperate autumn light, causing another of a string of giddy smiles to rise unbidden to her face.

Her head laid sideways on her arm and a few strands of her red hair fell lazy across her face as her blue eyes rested on the amber gem centered on the white-gold wedding band. Engravings were etched onto the outside of her band, simple lines combining to form an amazingly crafted piece of jewelry. The piece de resistance of the expertly crafted Goron ring was the engraving Malon could feel on the band's inside.

As she felt the etched notes of Epona's Song on the ring, she began humming the tune out of habit. It was so soft, so melodious that she closed her own eyes and retreated into her memories as she continued her rendition of the song that had brought her and Link together.

* * *

 _It had been in the spring when Link had asked Malon to meet him one of their traditional meeting in the center of the corral; they had been setting up romantic rendezvouses ever since her and her Fairy Boy had wordlessly professed their love for each other almost five years ago when Link had returned from his journeys. After receiving a glowing approval from Talon when asked if he could court his daughter – which included a crushing bear hug and continuous congratulations – Link and Malon were free to pursue their feelings. Since then, the young hero had begun courting his ranch girl._

 _The process had started out simply enough: the occasional flower from Link to Malon, and them sneaking off during work to enjoy a sunny day and exchange the usual kiss before returning to their duties. As they grew older, the flowers turned into thoughtful gifts from one to the other, including a new ocarina carved specifically for Link and a carefully crafted, hand-carved music box for Malon; the sneaking off and kisses turned into special days set aside for themselves and much more passionate showings of affection. It was everything Malon had hoped for and more when she thought of the knight-in-shining-armor she envisioned rescuing her when she was younger._

 _Their bodies changed over time as well, both growing into young adulthood. Link's muscles developed as he worked on the ranch into a strong, lean frame. Stubble dotted his chin from time to time, though he quickly shaved it off whenever he had a chance. Malon, meanwhile began filling her dress more and more, requiring new clothes almost every birthday. She also began maturing in her feminine ways. Eventually, it came to the point where she needed help from her friend in Kakariko Village, Anju, who gladly helped her understanding her more mature body._

 _Even with all of these changes, Malon and her Fairy Boy were happier than words could ever describe._

 _Yet on that day in particular, she would realize she could become much happier._

 _After Malon had finished her chores, she journeyed to the corral, contently wondering what Link could possibly want to talk to her about. Her mind wandered from the most obvious ideas to the wildest conclusions, and all of it made her that much more excited to see her Fairy Boy._

 _Once the corral – and subsequently Link – was in sight, Malon closed the remaining distance quickly with a light jog._

 _"Link!" she called out to the hero-turned-ranch-hand._

 _He turned towards Malon, smiling at the sight of her before turning into a look of slight alarm. The ranch girl had continued her light jog and launched herself towards Link. Her Fairy Boy caught her easily before being thrown back to the ground by the combined force of both of their weights._

 _Once they collided with the soft green grass of the corral, Malon exchanged a look of apology with her Fairy Boy before both of them started to laugh. After they calmed down, Link embraced his love with a strong, caring grip, which was gladly returned by Malon._

 _"Hey, Mal," he whispered into her ear. He pulled away slightly to give her a soft kiss before bringing them both back to their feet._

 _Once standing again, Malon continued smiling, though blushed lightly. "Sorry about that, Fairy Boy. For some reason, I felt more excited than usual when I saw you."_

 _Link shook his head, smiling as well. "Don't worry about it, Mal. It was an exciting way to start the conversation."_

 _"I'm glad you think so. So, can I ask why you wanted me to come out here all of sudden? I'm not complaining, just… curious." Malon rushed the last part to cover up how suspicious she thought she had sounded._

 _"It's okay, I'm sure I wasn't exactly clear when I asked that. What I wanted to talk to you about, well…" The former hero paused, thinking on his words and trying to find a good place to begin. "Remember the promise I made to you all those years ago before I left to search for Navi?"_

 _Malon nodded, sending a wordless cue for Link to continue. She admitted to herself that she forgot about that promise as soon as her Fairy Boy came back. Now that he had brought it up after so many years, Malon was again curious as to what her and Link were like in the future._

 _"Well… I figured it was time I make good on that promise. If you still want to hear it, that is."_

 _Again, Malon nodded her head. "Of course."_

 _"Okay. Well…" Before he continued, Link took a deep breath and gently grasped one of Malon's hands. "You and I were… close. Almost as close as we are now. But in that timeline, your father was banished to Kakariko Village by Ingo, who was promised Lon Lon Ranch by Ganondorf if he did so and could provide horses for him. Ingo is much different in this timeline, more loyal to your father, it was the evil from then that most likely corrupted him. But back to you and us. You were miserable then, almost held captive by Ingo. I don't know what he planned on doing with you, but the look in his eyes whenever he stared at you…"_

 _Link's hand unconsciously grasped tighter around Malon's. With an understanding, yet forlorn look in her eye, the ranch girl gently placed her other hand on Link's forearm, regaining his attention. He relaxed his grip quickly, hoping he had not hurt Malon._

 _"Sorry. It's just…" the former hero tried searching for words to justify his action._

 _Before he could speak up, Malon added, "I understand, your past – er, future, wasn't easy. If you need to stop…_

 _Link smiled softly. "No, it's okay," was his response before he continued his story. "Anyway, Ingo was wanting to give Epona to Ganondorf as a gift. Before that could happen, I beat Ingo in a race, where Epona was the bet. Then, I took her away. It was… a while before I could return for you, I'm sorry…_

 _"When I did, I brought Talon back with me, and he retook the ranch from Ingo. Lon Lon Ranch was back to normal after that. When I was leaving that day, you came up and thanked me, asking if I could stay for dinner. I remember my stomach growling at the thought of a warm meal right after you asked me." Link and Malon shared a short laugh. "After that, I began coming back to Lon Lon Ranch more often to see you… and eventually I realized I was in love with you, as I am now. Yet… I never had the chance to tell you how I felt."_

 _The hero paused in his story to take another deep breath, and his smile disappeared, leaving behind a troubled frown. "It was before my final battle with Ganondorf. I came to Lon Lon Ranch, wanting to tell you then and there, but… I couldn't. Instead, I smiled, gave you a kiss on the cheek, and promised to tell you something once I returned. Then I rode off, and never came back… I never told you how I felt…"_

 _Tears filled Link's eyes at this point. They told Malon everything she needed to know: he felt turmoil, sadness… regret. A few stray tears trailed down the ranch girl's cheeks as well, but through them she smiled. She smiled because she had him in this timeline; she smiled because he had the chance to tell her how he felt; she smiled because he was here._

 _Gently, Malon cupped her Fairy Boy's cheek and guided his eyes to meet hers. "Hey." She uttered the one word so gently, so simply that it almost seemed to heal Link's guilt. She rose slightly on her toes to come to his height before gently kissing him. It felt as if Malon's kiss itself fully assuaged any remainder of Link's remorse. It was soft and simple, connecting the pair to each other as it had so many times before. Yet this time it felt slightly different from the others: with this one, loving gesture Malon told her Fairy Boy that she was there. And there she would stay._

 _When she broke away from Link, she smiled softly and watched his eyes – she had always loved how his eyes shone like the sun reflecting against Lake Hylia whenever she pulled away from him. "I love you," she uttered so assuredly as if to stop anyone from saying otherwise._

 _All Link could do was smile radiantly. Instead of responding, he reached into one of his pouches and pulled something out. He rose Malon's hand slightly, and laid it palm down in his hand. The former hero's slightly shaking fingers covered the pair of hands for a moment. In that brief moment, Malon felt something slip over her ring finger. Her heart skipped a beat before picking up in pace like a galloping horse._

 _She covered her mouth to stop the loud gasp that wished to escape. Tears once again threatened to fall from her eyes. Once Link removed his hand, Malon saw a beautiful, white-gold ring now securely fitted around her ring finger._

 _"I love you too, Mal," Link finally spoke. "Will you marry me?"_

 _Malon didn't even have to think once before embracing her Fairy Boy. She buried her head into his shoulder as tears began to finally fall down her cheeks. Red hair covered Malon's face from Link's view, but if he could see it, he would see her smiling just as brightly as he had been moments ago. In between her sobs of glee, she whispered a single word loud enough for only them to hear._

 _"Yes."_

* * *

Malon came back to the present as the memory concluded, finding herself now staring at her wedding band with happy eyes and smiling giddily.

A knock on the door ended her moment of peace.

"Come in," she replied.

A familiar head of deep, red hair popped through the opening in the door. She had her hand over her eyes, just in case Malon was still changing. "Are you dressed, Mal?"

The ranch girl chuckled lightly. "Yes, Anju, I'm dressed."

Almost immediately after Malon had spoken, her older friend removed her hands from her face and gasped in delight.

Framed by the rays of the sun coming through her window was Malon, dressed in a simple, white wedding gown. Wreaths of white flowers were atop her hair and surrounding her wrists. The dress itself came down to her feet, hiding them from view, while short sleeves covered her shoulders but left her arms mostly bare. Finally, too accentuate her appearance was a white shawl that covered the ranch girl's bare upper arms and gave her some protection from the cool, autumn breeze.

Anju couldn't hold back her tears any longer and ran up to Malon just as she stood up, embracing the ranch girl in a strong hug. "Y-you look s-so b-b-beautiful!" the red haired cucco lady exclaimed in between sobs.

Malon patted her friend on the back comfortingly, trying to calm her down. "Thanks, Anju. Um… but can you maybe let go a little? I'm… starting to… choke…"

"Oh! Of course!"

Anju rushed away from Malon, bowing a few times to help deliver her apology. "I'm sorry, Malon! It's just when I saw you in that dress, I got so excited. I can't believe you're getting married," she gushed, returning to her normal self.

"I know, I'm excited too! But… also a bit nervous…" Malon admitted. Not even waiting for Anju to ask why, the nerve-wrecked bride-to-be began listing reasons off. "I mean, what if something goes wrong? Or if Link calls off the wedding at the last second? Or if monsters come? What if…" Malon gasped. "What if no one else comes!? Anju!"

This time Malon charged at Anju for a hug. She received a comforting embrace from the cucco lady, and a wry chuckle in response.

"What are you laughing at?" Malon asked through the tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"It's nothing, you just remind me of myself the day I married Kafei," she informed her friend after one last laugh. "But trust me, everything will go great, and it will be over before you know it. Link would never abandon you, he loves you and is too loyal to ever let you be alone again."

Malon took a deep breath and calmed herself down before stammering out, "I-I know… I'm just a nervous wreck today…"

"I understand completely, Malon. But trust me, to be married to the one person who knows you almost as well as yourself, who will always be by your side no matter what, and who will put you before themselves whenever the need arises, well, I can't even begin to describe the feeling." Anju fiddled with the gold band on her ring finger, thinking of her foreign, purple haired husband. The thoughts caused a small smile to rise to her lips unbiddenly. "It really is the greatest thing in all of Hyrule."

The bride-to-be looked wistfully at Anju, easily losing herself in her thoughts on Link. Just as quickly as she retreated into her own mind, however, Anju grabbed Malon by the arm and started leading her out the door.

"Now let's go! After all, we can't keep everyone waiting, especially Link," Anju spoke as she tugged Malon along.

"W-wait! Don't we have a little more time before the wedding? I mean… my um… hair needs to be done! Yeah, and I need to um… uh…"

"Mal, your hair looks amazing. _You_ look amazing. I'm sure Link will think the same. Besides it is a bit of the walk to the grove, and we don't want you to be late! Come on!"

"But, I-"

Malon had no more say on the matter as she was pulled through the small ranch house by the oddly strong cucco lady.

* * *

Everything seemed to be quiet around the grove. The animals had retreated deeper into the forest as the sun set, returning to their homes for the day. Murmurs were all that came from the small band of wedding guests, along with a few quiet sniffles from Talon and some angry huffs and gruffs from Ingo. Epona grazed gently behind the wedding guests, not paying much attention to the scene and quietly satisfied with her meal. Even the wind seemed to stifle itself for this day.

Or maybe it was all just in Link's head.

After all, the former hero was lost in his thoughts as he stared at the entrance to the grove, eagerly awaiting his bride-to-be. So many emotions were bouncing of the walls of his head, that he had a hard time keeping his face straight. If he couldn't do that, then the wedding guests would be concerned upon seeing his expression turn from one of happiness to thoughtfulness to worriedness to nervousness and then back to happiness. A whole flux of emotions ran wild throughout Link's mind, yet he let no one know the wiser. To his guests, he was the picture of calm and collected, and the perfect groom.

His appearance could only be described as stunningly handsome. He had spent all day combing his hair until it shone and didn't need to be covered by his cap. His usual green attire was switched out for a simple formal tunic that was almost as white as the snow, with brown boots going all the way up to his knees. Dressing for formal occasions wasn't something he usually did, but for this day, Link would do almost anything. Yet the change of attire only accentuated the whirlwind of emotions inside of him. How could one even begin to calm down in these tight, uncomfortable clothes?

"I see someone's a little bit nervous about their wedding day."

The sudden voice snapped Link out of his reverie. Somehow, he hadn't noticed that Princess Zelda was now standing in front of him. It was as if she had come out of nowhere.

"Z-Zelda! When did you get here?" Link stammered, taken by surprise by his friend's sudden appearance.

The princess giggled quietly, hiding her laugh behind her hand and trying her hardest not to break etiquette. "A few moments ago. Forgive me, but it was entertaining to see how vastly your emotions changed."

"What do you mean…?"

Zelda pointed at Link's eyes. "It's all written in your eyes. If one were to look carefully, then they would see the mixture of emotions your feeling right now."

Link chuckled lightly. "I'm that easy to read, huh? Guess you don't have the Triforce of Wisdom for nothing."

"It's not just wisdom, Link. A woman's intuition also helps. I'm sure Malon would say the same thing."

"You think?"

Zelda nodded. "I do. But where I can only tell by your eyes, she could tell by just looking at you. Both of you seem to… have that way of communicating with each other." The princess smiled sadly, closing her eyes as if reminiscing on something. "I guess that's what love is…"

"Zelda…"

The princess shook her head and changed her smile from one of familiar sadness to friendly reassurance. "Don't worry about me, Link. Today is your day after all, as well as Malon's. So please, stop feeling this mixture of emotions and be happy. You and her belong together."

For some reason, Link picked up a hint of something in Zelda's voice as she spoke. His mind was too clouded to recognize what it was at this moment, however. Yet the young man could have vaguely sworn it sounded like something akin to a melancholy or bittersweet tone. Link didn't think on it long though, and nodded his head before fortifying his smile.

"Thanks, Zelda. It means a lot."

The former hero gave his friend a gentle hug, who gladly returned it. After they broke apart, Link looked over the princess's shoulder and noticed two forms walking towards the entrance of the grove. When Zelda noticed this, she turned around. Once she saw the same thing, she smiled gently, gave Link one last look, and then joined the rest of the wedding band.

Talon stood from his seat to greet the two newcomers, knowing full well who it was. As the pair walked up to the old rancher, everyone could finally see the bride.

A collective gasp was heard from the audience as they beheld Malon's appearance. Everyone's attention was focused on her as she began walking down the path towards Link with Talon on her left side and Anju on her right. Her smile shined radiantly and her red cheeks burned brightly. No one watched her more closely than Link.

He found it hard to breathe all of a sudden, and he felt his jaw go slack as he watched his bride-to-be walk closer and closer to him. Each step made his heartbeat pick up in pace, making Link wonder if it would completely escape his chest. Could such a thing happen? If it could, then it would most certainly happen now. She had stolen his heart, he realized, but could it even be called stealing if he wished to give it up so willingly? The former hero didn't have an answer for his question, nor would he as Malon stood before him giving her father and her best friend one more hug before joining Link.

As she stepped up to Link's side, their hands immediately and unconsciously found the other's. The familiar feeling of warmth and comfort brought Link back to the present before he had the chance to lose himself in Malon's eyes. He closed his mouth when he realized how ridiculous he must have looked.

"H-hey, Mal," he said sheepishly, an embarrassed smile and small blush rising to his face.

"Hey yourself," she replied with a giggle.

"Are you ready for this?" Link questioned seriously, wanting to make sure there were no doubts in either of their minds.

Malon smiled coyly before standing on her toes to give Link a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Of course, silly," she replied assuredly. Malon turned to the priest who was overseeing the wedding. "Sorry if I skipped ahead there."

The Priest of Hylia smiled gently and simply asked, "Are both of you ready to proceed?"

The pair nodded in unison as they turned back to each other.

With that, they let the wedding flow by and the words, the guests, the grove, and everything else melt away as they lost themselves in the other's gaze with the only feeling being that of their hands and the unified beating of their hearts. There they stayed, in a little world all their own.

* * *

The Hero of the Wild's eyes were glazed over in a peaceful cloud as the memory ended. He didn't know it, but he was smiling dumbly as he felt the emotions of his ancestor flow through him. As the reel of the memory ended, however, Link shook his head to fully wake himself from the beautiful scene. He swore he could feel his heart beating the same beat as the Hero of Time's, and the feeling of a certain red-headed ranch girl's breath tickling his ear as she pulled away from a kiss on the cheek.

"That… that was… intense," the Hero of the Wild's commented as he regained control of his voice.

The Hero of Time let loose a short chuckle. "Indeed, it was. That was… is my most precious memory. I think you can understand why."

"I do," Link replied as he continued staring at the grove where his ancestor and Malon were married those many years ago. "I truly do."

"Good, then you understand the joy of love and why it was needed. Why you need something like that to fight for, correct?"

"Yes."

"Then you also understand why I came to you to show you these memories as well?"

"Yes…"

The Hero of the Wilds turned away from the grove to the Hero of Time with a determined stare. "To show I must never forget what I'm fighting for."

"And just what is it you are fighting for, hm…?"

"I'm fighting for…" Link stopped himself, thinking on what – who – he was fighting for and realizing now was not the time to speak her name. No, he would save those words for her ears first. Instead, he smiled and answered, "I'm fighting for the one I love."

The Hero of Time nodded approvingly, seeing the determination in the steely blue gaze that he had all those years ago. "It seems you are, I will ask no more. Now, I have but one last lesson to teach you, one last memory to show you before I leave, one last thing you must prepare yourself for."

The young hero's gaze turned forlorn and he grimaced. "Regret."

"…yes."

With that, the Hero of Time turned back to the ruins of Lon Lon Ranch, wordlessly beckoning Link to follow him. The Hero of the Wilds did just that while internally preparing himself for whatever he might see.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **There you have it everyone, the beautiful scene of love that was bound to come up in this part of the fic. Glad to be writing stuff like that again, I love doing it. If y'all can't tell, this is the second to last chapter of Red Hair and a Blue-Eyed Stare. After that, I will be moving on to another Link, and I think I have an idea of where I'm gonna take that. But first, before that happens, we will learn why Link feels regret like he does.**

 **Thanks y'all for reading and staying with me, it's always fun to write for you guys. As always, let me know if you guys have any ideas for who you want to see in future chapters, hopefully I can crank those out faster so you guys can see your favorite relationships and Links interact. Once I get the next section started, I'm also going to put a poll up on my author page to gauge who people want to see next. Keep that in mind, and vote! Otherwise, hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! Leave a review, a follow, a favorite, a cookie, whatever you like!**

 **Peace,**

 **nickdaman6**


	6. Chapter 6

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thank you!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Red Hair and a Blue-Eyed Stare, Part Six**

Once again, Link and the spiritual apparition of the Hero of Time found themselves in the corral of Lon Lon Ranch. By this point in time, Epona had wandered towards the corral as well, grazing on the damp grass. Upon hearing the footsteps approaching her, she rose her head out of curiosity to see the newcomers. When she realized it was Link, she returned to her grazing, satisfied with the answer she received.

Absentmindedly, the Hero of the Wilds came up to his mount and stroked her mane, earning a satisfied whinny in response. Link chuckled lightly before addressing his ancestor once again with a neutral tone.

"Is there any point in asking what I'll see? Or what I'm supposed to learn?"

The Hero of Time sighed. Without even turning his way, Link knew he was shaking his head. "I'll say as I have before, you shall see. As for what you are to learn, you've already learn part of the lesson. This, lad, is where it will all come full circle. After this, I…" A pause.

This regained the Hero of the Wild's full attention, causing him to turn back to the spirit. He waited patiently for the Hero of Time to speak once again, to finish his thought. It took him a moment to regain control of his words, but he continued.

"After this, I am not sure what will happen. None of us are," he admitted with what appeared to be a look of worry on his face. "For all we know, once my past is reconciled, I may finally vanish from existence, retreat to the afterlife that awaits us heroes. Or maybe I'll be trapped within the hero's soul forever, never to manifest myself in Hyrule ever again."

"Really? You've spent thousands of years living within the hero's soul, and none of you have ever done something like this?" Link responded in disbelief, thinking that his ancestor was jesting.

"No, none of us have. We've all walked our separate paths, even my great-great-grandson, the Hero of Twilight, never crossed over my path. So again, no, we do not know what will happen."

Link stared at the Hero of Time, unblinking. He couldn't believe his ancestors would be so reckless, that they would risk their being to reconcile with something that happened centuries prior; that they would send a part of them out there in order to face the world once again without thought of what would happen to them; that… that…

They did something he himself would do.

The Hero of the Wilds realized this with a start. His eyes softened in understanding, and he nodded. "I get it. It's worth the risk to see them again and to be at peace with your past."

What Link saw next took him by surprise: the Hero of Time's shoulders were visibly shaking and he heard… sobbing. He didn't know if spirits could cry, but from the sobs coming from the spirit and the small droplets of water falling from his eyes – and disappearing in midair – Link assumed they could.

"…yes…" the Hero of Time managed between choking sobs.

The air between the two heroes grew solemn as Link let his ancestor release the grief he had been holding in for centuries. Regret. It was a cruel emotion, a lesson that the Hero of Time was teaching his distant relative. To be consumed by it like he had was a hell no man should ever have been put through. That was what he was trying to teach Link. Yet to fully comprehend why he felt this way, how to avoid such regret, and just to sate his curiosity, Link stood, waiting for the last memory to come to him.

He waited patiently for the Hero of Time to calm down. After wiping away his tears and nodding his head a couple of times, he spoke. "It's time. I have come to terms with my possible demise. Are you ready, Link?"

With a swift nod, the hero felt the familiar drowsiness of a memory taking over once again. This time, instead of hearing the sounds of animals, the pleas to stay, or the laughter of happy times, he heard a single, heart-wrenching sound. Once he vaguely saw the wisps of red hair covering Malon's face and her shaking shoulders, he knew what he had heard:

Sorrowful, mournful crying.

* * *

A grey, rolling sky covered Hyrule in a chilling shade. Rain threatened to fall from the clouds at any moment. As the sky above was abound in activity – with distant thunder echoing around Hyrule Field – so was the earth below. In relation to the weather, the movements seemed miniscule and insignificant to the greater picture. Yet to Link, who was racing against the clock on Epona, his actions meant more now than they did all those years ago when he saved the world from utter destruction – twice.

His faithful steed carried him south as fast as she could, cutting the one-day travel time from Lon Lon Ranch to Kokiri Forest to a half day. Epona pushed herself, seemingly knowing how high the stakes were at this moment; it was a testament to the bond between master and horse.

As soon as the duo approached the line of dense trees that separated the Kokiri Forest from Hyrule proper, Link jumped off of Epona and sprinted towards the entrance to the first home he ever knew. Even as memories from his childhood tried to push their way into his mind, the hero's thoughts were only focused on one thing: Malon

Thinking of her brought back memories of the past few years since their wedding. Some of them brought a ghost of smile to Link's face; others caused that smile to disappear.

* * *

 _As Link remembered, it all started a few months after he and Malon were married. Up until that point, everything had remained the same between the newly wedded couple: they still snuck out to meet each other during their breaks; they still sang and played duets of Epona's Song; and they still loved each other. Yet it seemed a flick of a simple switch in Link's mind one night changed him from more than happy to simply content._

 _On certain days, he found himself staring off into the distance over the fences that separated Lon Lon Ranch from the rest of Hyrule. His mind wandered from his daily chores to the adventures he had so many years ago. The want to explore, to see the world again was seeping into his very being. Everything started to seem less important to him, save Malon, who he could never leave behind._

 _So, for a while, Link simply stole glances at the possibility of freedom over those wooden walls. Yet eventually every itch needs to be scratched, so too did the former hero's need to explore. But how could he leave Malon behind like that? Surprisingly, the answer was a simple one: he wouldn't; he would take her with him._

 _When the hero had brought up the idea to his wife, she, to his surprise, whole-heartedly agreed to join him. After all, she didn't want to stay cooped up in a ranch her entire life without seeing what else was out there. However, neither could they leave the ranch undermanned. So, a compromise was made: when they needed to work during the busy seasons, they would take day trips when they could; when work on the ranch started slowing down, they would take longer trips._

 _Not long after they struck this deal with Talon, the couple began traveling to the far reaches of Hyrule whenever possible. Sometimes they took day trips outside of the ranch, when possible they made week-long trips to Lake Hylia or Kakariko Village and Death Mountain, and during the ranch's off-season, they trekked to the borders of Hyrule to continue adventuring. Link and Malon's life together was everything they wanted and more._

 _In their adventures, however, the couple forgot that everything has an end._

 _During one of their many journeys across Hyrule, Malon fell violently ill. The hero immediately cut their trip short and ventured to Kakariko Village to seek medical attention. Their trek to the small village was significantly lengthened due to Malon's mysterious illness, forcing the couple to travel according to how she felt on any given day. But Link was patient and caring, waiting for his wife to feel better before they even dared continue to Kakariko Village and helping her when they did._

 _Eventually, they arrived and sought out a doctor immediately. After what seemed like an extraneously long examination, the doctor walked out of his office with a crying Malon behind him. Even though tears fell down his wife's face, both her and the physician wore small smiles. When Link asked what had happened, Malon only took a moment before replying with, "I'm pregnant."_

 _Though the news came out fluently, it took the former hero a moment to understand what his wife had said. Once he finally comprehended the news, Link smiled brightly and enveloped Malon in his arms, twirling her around as he did so._

 _After working out the details with the Kakariko doctor, the couple traveled back to Lon Lon Ranch. Upon their return, they relayed the news to Talon and Ingo. Talon, unsurprisingly, began crying and cheering, happy to finally have a grandchild on the way. Ingo, while usually showing little to no emotion other than agitation, congratulated the couple with a strained smile._

 _From there, Link and Malon retreated to the ranch, focusing on preparing for the baby. Though their travels were over for the time being, they still made it out of Lon Lon Ranch every now and then in order to satisfy their wanderlust. Their journeys were limited to simple horseback rides in Hyrule Field. Nonetheless, they enjoyed their brief episodes of freedom._

 _Again, everything seemed perfect, but Link still found himself staring out into the distance every now and then while he worked…_

* * *

The Hero of Time sprinted across the bridge serving as the only connection to the small village protected by the Kokiri Forest. At this point, it had begun to rain. This did not hinder Link in the slightest, as he continued towards his destination.

Running into Kokiri Village, he noticed none of the Kokiri or fairies who inhabited the small hamlet were out in the rain. They had all retreated into their respective houses, choosing to ride out the storm in comfortable warmth instead of dancing in the showers. The former Kokiri gave it little thought, however, instead making a beeline to where he needed to go. Upon arriving, he paused for a moment, and stared into the darkness that was the Lost Woods.

Usually, the hero would ask one of the Kokiri to help him in traversing the cursed woods. Yet none of them trusted adults and the only ones who would even offer to be his guide had left him years ago: Navi departed shortly after his journey to save Hyrule, and Saria had to attend to her duties as the Sage of Forest, forcing her to leave Kokiri Village indefinitely.

Though unsure of what would happen without a guide, the hero steeled himself and ventured into the forbidden woods, realizing he had little choice. His thoughts, once again, drifted to Malon as he passed the threshold into the Lost Woods.

* * *

 _Months into her pregnancy, Malon began showing._

 _Every few weeks, the doctor from Kakariko Village would venture to Lon Lon Ranch to examine both the ranch girl and her unborn child. After every visit, the doctor would smile and say they were both healthy and coming along fine. Once Malon was a few months into her pregnancy, the doctor advised against any strenuous activity, limiting his patient to only simple house chores and bed rest._

 _The couple knew this would happen eventually, yet it couldn't have occurred at a worse time. It was springtime in Hyrule, meaning it was the busiest time of year for the ranch. Barn animals were starting to mate and become pregnant, ready to expand the heard; market days were more common in Castle Town, forcing Lon Lon Ranch to produce more food and milk than usual; and work kept piling up to the point where Link needed to pick up the slack, lest the ranch fall behind._

 _So, with Malon confined to the ranch house, her husband began working from dawn until well past dusk, picking up both his and her work. The ranch girl worried about Link, afraid he was putting too much strain on himself. Yet whenever Malon tried to help, the ranch hand would simple shake his head, smile, and kiss Malon on the top of her head._

 _"I can do this," he would reassure her. "Please, rest. I don't want you to push yourself too hard."_

 _And every time, Malon would try to change her husband's mind. But Link would never budge, even on the days when his wife's emotions would run wild due to her pregnancy. In those cases, he would continue smiling and hug her, whispering sweet nothings to the ranch girl before moving to do the same to their unborn child. Malon would always blush and softly smile while tears began prickling her eyes. Only then would she realize Link was right and return to her house chores or preparing for the baby._

 _That didn't stop Malon from worrying that soon Link would reach his limits._

 _Neither of them knew it then, but that day was sooner than they expected._

 _Only a couple months away from Malon's due date, a storm hit that heavily damaged the ranch and caused some of the horses to scatter around Hyrule. The next day, Link – on top of his other duties – was tasked with rounding up the horses that escaped. Though they were all tamed, many of them also enjoyed their newfound freedom, making it harder for the ranch hand to round them up._

 _It wasn't until after midday that Link returned with all of the horses. By then, he was utterly exhausted. Yet he continued through the day without a word, helping Talon and Ingo make repairs to the ranch and attending to his duties that stretched well into the night._

 _Once he had finished his work, Link wearily marched to join his wife in bed. As he took his first step into the ranch house, a sudden frustration rose in him. Any fatigue he felt quickly vanished as well. He knew he wouldn't be finding any sleep tonight, and didn't want to worry Malon with his inability to sleep or abnormal agitation. Unable to think straight, the former hero did the only thing he could think to do: he saddled Epona, and left._

 _Link rode and rode, until he arrived at the river separating the entrance to Kakariko Village from Hyrule. Then, and only then, did he dismount Epona and collapse onto his knees. He let loose a built-up scream that had been inside of him ever since the beginning of the day. Frustrated tears trailed down his cheek as he let loose every negative emotion that he had buried deep down inside._

 _Immediately after, his fatigue returned, causing him to collapse. Through his foggy thoughts, he forgot about Malon, he forgot about his child, and he forgot about Lon Lon Ranch. For the first time in months, he let himself focus on something that mattered so dearly to him, something that he hadn't felt since his last trip with Malon: freedom._

 _Then, he finally allowed sleep to take him._

 _A sudden moist nudge awoke Link. His dreary eyes slowly opened, allowing him to see what had woken him from his restful sleep. The hero was greeted by the familiar face of his trusty steed, Epona. The loving awakening he received caused Link to smile, as one of his most trusted companions acted as his alarm clock. He sat up in the grass, seeing that the sun was just now rising in the sky, and enjoying the sounds of chirping birds and the babbling stream in front of him. A sudden calm washed over him as he breathed in the peaceful atmosphere. Once that calm passed, however, something began pestering Link in the back of his mind._

 _It took a few moments for him to shake away the morning daze, but once he did, the ranch hand's eyes widened in a mixture of fear and guilt. The realization had hit him like a raging stampede of cuccos: he had left Lon Lon Ranch and, more importantly, he had left Malon. Realizing what he had done, Link quickly mounted Epona and spurred her back to the ranch at full speed._

 _By the time Link and Epona returned to Lon Lon Ranch, it had reached midday. After dismounting Epona, Link's first instinct was to sprint into the ranch house and check on Malon. To his surprise, as he burst through the door, the first thing the ranch hand saw was Talon and Ingo mid-eating at the kitchen table. The two ranchers eyed Link for a moment before setting down their sandwiches. Ingo appeared ready to explode upon seeing their hired hand, but Talon motioned for the lanky rancher to stay quiet, never breaking eye contact with Link, eyeing him with something akin to… a stern understanding?_

 _Without speaking, the head of Lon Lon Ranch nodded towards the barn and simply commented, "She's out that way, still working."_

 _Those words caused all color to wash away from Link's face. His guilt from early immediately increased, causing him to turn quickly towards the barn without so much as an apology towards his father-in-law and co-worker._

 _"It happened to me too, son."_

 _Talon's words stopped his son-in-law this time, causing the boy in green to turn his head towards the rancher._

 _"Sometimes it all just piles up," Talon continued, without allowing Link the chance to reply. "And you just don't know what to do. So… you run. Maybe for a day… maybe for months… But know that you must always come back. If not for the ranch, then for her. Understand? Always. You're her everything."_

 _Link nodded slowly, and without another word, sprinted the short distance from the ranch house to the barn. As he did before, he burst through the doors, not allowing himself to stop until he saw familiar long, red hair bent over next to one of the cows._

 _Upon hearing the commotion, the ranch girl turned to her husband, standing up slowly – due to her pregnancy – from milking the animals. For a moment, the former hero was stunned by his wife's beauty, never having really seen her pregnancy glow due to his long work hours. The innocent, almost heart-breaking look Malon had on her face tugged at Link's heart's strings, moving him to tears. His exhaustion, guilt, and the image of his wife was far too much for the former hero to handle. He collapsed onto his knees, a forlorn expression on his face as he covered it with his hands._

 _"Malon…" he muttered into his gloves._

 _The rushed crunching of hay came to the former hero's ears. Before he knew it, he felt the arms of his wife pull him into a warm embrace. Soft sobs filled Link's ears followed by Malon's tender voice._

 _"Thank the goddesses… you're alright, Link." The soft concern in Malon's voice took her husband by surprise. "I was so worried that something happened to you, that you may have gotten hurt, or –"_

 _Her husband cut her off by pressing his lips to hers. The sudden action caught Malon off-guard for a moment, before she followed suit and returned the kiss. Never had Link felt such a need to kiss his wife, to hold her, to love her and never let her go. She worried about her husband being safe over everything else, over his leaving her. Her pure and innocent concern for him made her husband realize that never had he felt something from someone. Out of everything and everyone else in the world, Malon cared most for one person:_

 _Link._

 _When they broke apart, the former hero let his forehead land softly on Malon's chest as he stammered over and over again, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"_

 _Malon stroked Link's hair soothingly, trying to calm him down and ease his guilt. "Shh… It's okay, Link. I know… You have been pushing yourself well past your limits for me and our baby. That storm yesterday was just… too much. So please, there's no need to apologize. I know…"_

 _Time passed slowly once the ranch girl had finished speaking. The only sounds that could be heard were Malon's soft cooing and Link's slowly calming breathing. Once the ranch hand had reigned in his emotions, he spoke once more:_

 _"I promise not to leave you two. Ever again."_

 _It was then that Malon started crying, burying her face in Link's hair and choking out only two words. "Please don't."_

 _From then on, Link stayed close to Lon Lon Ranch, only ever taking rides on Epona in Hyrule Field whenever he felt like work was too much. The once-a-week ride helped clear his mind and prepared him for the following workdays. It was refreshing._

 _Malon quickly forgave her husband and continued with her housework and preparing for their child after giving Link a couple days' rest to recuperate. Talon also forgave Link quickly, understanding why he had left and what it was like trying to 'juggle all these cuccos together,' as he put it. The rancher only asked that the former hero never do something like that to worry his new family ever again. Link was happy to agree. Finally, there was Ingo. The lanky rancher didn't change much after what happened, except he seemed to ignore the ranch hand more often. Not giving it much thought, Link just continued about his work, thinking things had returned to how they were._

 _Normalcy had indeed returned to the ranch for quite some time. That is, until just a few weeks before Malon's due date when her doctor asked to stay at the ranch to watch over the mother and her unborn child. After all, the last month of pregnancy was the most crucial. Talon happily opened his doors to the physician, giving him Link's old room._

 _Everything felt securer after that: a trained practitioner of medicine was watching over Malon and her health; everyone's work on the ranch was paying off; and the happy couple were excited to welcome their child into the world._

 _Then, not long after the doctor arrived at the ranch, everything fell apart._

 _The day was just beginning when it had happened, and Link had just let the horses out into the corral to graze. His ears twitched in response to a door slamming, causing him to turn towards the source of the noise. Sprinting as fast as his old legs could carry him was the doctor, and as he came closer, the ranch hand swore he could see a worried look on his face._

 _Once in front of Link, the doctor – not even taking a moment to catch his breath – grabbed the former hero by the hand and dragged him back towards the ranch house._

" _Malon's collapsed," informed the doctor._

 _A sense of dread fell over Link immediately, who overtook the doctor and sprinted as fast as he could to the ranch house. Bursting through the door, he leapt up the stairs to his and Malon's room. Crossing the threshold, he stopped in his tracks, seeing Malon laying on their bed, breathing heavily, and drenched in sweat._

 _Link quickly came to her side and examined her as best as he could. Malon opened her eyes wearily, and smiled upon seeing her husband._

" _Link…" she uttered weakly before coughing violently._

" _Malon…? What happened, what's wrong?" her husband asked worriedly, unsure of what to do._

" _She has Faron flu."_

 _The sudden announcement drew Link's attention to the doctor who was standing in the doorway._

 _The doctor walked into the room and stood next to the couple. "It is a disease usually carried by animals. Herders and ranchers are the only ones to have ever contracted it, or so I've heard. Even then, it is rare, only appearing in people with weakened immune systems, such as Malon in her pregnant state" he informed, and nodded towards the woman in question. "Tell me, has Malon been near any of the barn animals recently?"_

 _Immediately, Link's thoughts went back to the few days Malon took care of his work on the ranch. That was the only time he knew of his wife tending to animals while she was pregnant. His eyes widened and a cold sweat formed on the back of his neck as he began visibly shaking._

" _That tells me all I need to know… I must warn you, the disease is quite dangerous."_

" _W-what do you mean by… dangerous…?" Link stuttered._

 _The doctor sighed. "It is best both of you know, so that you may weigh your options. When I say dangerous, I mean fatal to the child, or the mother, or both."_

 _The despair Link felt only intensified. Both his wife and child were in danger of dying and worse yet, it was his fault. Immediately, Link began wondering what he could do, how he could help. Then, another string of thoughts quickly followed: Did he do this? What if he couldn't help? What if Malon was going to… die? What then? What would happen? Would his child live? How could he live with the guilt of knowing what he had done?_

 _Link shut his eyes in pain, screaming internally,_ This is my fault!

 _The sudden contact of Malon's gentle grasp on his hand caused him to stop his quickly spiraling thoughts. He turned his head towards his wife, who smiled softly at him._

" _Hey… I know that face. It isn't your fault, Link. And I promise... It'll be okay. Let's hear what else he has to say…"_

 _Link nodded slowly and allowed himself a comforting smile before collecting himself and returning his attention back to the doctor and asking, "What are our options?"_

" _Well, my boy, there is not much I can do with my array of medicine currently. We could only hope for the best," the doctor informed sadly._

" _That's it then? Nothing can be done…?" Link asked in a quiet anger, not willing to give up._

 _The doctor raised his hand to his chin in thought, pondering on what Link was asking for a moment. "Well, there is one way, but it would be dangerous."_

" _What is it then?"_

" _Deep in the Lost Woods, there is a flower with the curative properties that could – most likely – cure your wife and save your child. But I know of no one having access to it currently, so the only option would be to travel there and find some for yourself."_

" _That's it?" Link asked, surprised by how easy the task was. "Just a flower and you can help Malon?"_

" _Yes, but it is the Lost Woods after all, so it would be a dangerous journey that should not be taken lightly."_

" _I understand. And I'll gladly do it," Link replied without a second thought._

" _Link…" Malon tried to plead half-heartedly._

 _Her husband turned back to her and knelt down to her height. "It'll be alright, Mal. I know those woods like the back of my hand. And I can't just not do anything. If there is a way to cure you, then I'd do it again and again, without hesitating."_

 _Malon continued to smile at Link, even as tears formed at the corners of her eyes. "I know you would. But please, be safe and come back home in one piece…"_

" _I will, Mal. I will," Link assured. He flashed her a quick smile, before kissing her forehead and mumbling against her skin, "I love you."_

" _I love you, too. Hurry back…"_

 _With that, Malon gently took her hand back and allowed herself to fall asleep._

 _As Link stood up, he admired the sleeping form of his wife, both in awe and in pain as he watched her battle the disease._

" _So, what am I looking for, doc?" Link asked without turning away from Malon._

" _A flower called the Silent Princess. It is a white-blue flower with five petals, a yellow stigma, and is quite rare to Hyrule nowadays." The doctor explained. "They have been used by royalty and peasant alike to cure diseases great and small for generations. And as I said before, the only current location where they grow – that I know of – is in the Lost Woods."_

 _The former hero finally turned to the doctor. There was a determine look to Link's face and stance. "Then that's where I'm going. When Talon and Ingo return from the market, let them know the situation. I will be back as soon as possible, if not sooner."_

" _And I will care for Malon. Know that she is in capable hands, my boy."_

 _Link nodded in thanks before walking purposefully out of the ranch house to saddle and mount Epona._

* * *

Three days had passed since Link had left Lon Lon Ranch.

Two days had passed since Link had found the Silent Princesses in a grove deep in the Lost Woods.

And one day had passed since Link had collapsed on the floor of the Lost Woods, hungry, exhausted, and on the verge of insanity.

Now, the former hero sat against a tree, muttering prayers to every deity he could think of. All he asked for was a way to deliver the Silent Princesses to Lon Lon Ranch. He knew the Lost Woods had claimed him; it happened to any adult who dared to enter the sacred domain without a Kokiri or fairy guide. Sure enough, though he was the Hero of Time and a Kokiri at one point, Link had also fallen victim to the winding and twisting forest. And as with every adult who entered and became lost, he felt himself slowly losing his sanity. Soon, he would just be another wandering soul trying to escape the confines of the Lost Woods.

But before that could happen, he wanted to make sure Malon and their child would live.

Yet as each second ticked by, his hope dwindled more and more. No one was coming to his aid, no one was coming to help him in his time of need, and no one would remember him.

Link sighed, knowing why the goddesses had forsaken him: he wasn't a hero any longer, and in this timeline, he never was.

 _They've left me… just as Navi did, just as the Sages did… they've all left me_ , Link thought morosely, coming to terms with everything before his death. _Guess that's all a forgotten hero deserves._

Soon after his realization, Link began to cry. Tears silently streamed down his face and trickled to the bouquet of flowers he loosely held onto with his hand.

 _I'm sorry, Malon…_ he apologized internally. _I'm sorry that I'll have to break a promise or two. I'm sorry I left you… I'm sorry it was my fault you're sick… and I'm… sorry._

Link's eyes, weighed down by exhaustion and his thoughts, finally began to close. The former hero tried his best to keep his eyes open for just a bit longer, hoping upon hope that something, anything would hear his prayers.

It seemed, that wasn't to be.

His eyes finally closed shut for the last time. His breathing became shallower and more staggered as Link kept trying to fight for every last second of his life.

Just as he was about to pass on, Link swore he heard the rushed flapping of gigantic wings and felt a presence next to him. A light pressure on his right hand and the small weight of the Silent Princesses being removed indicated the bouquet had been taken. Then, more flapping, as the presence seemed to drift away.

All this time Link couldn't see what had happened. He just knew the flowers were gone and so were his hopes of saving Malon and his child.

A sad smile splayed across his face as he realized his time had finally arrived. With his last breath, he whispered, "I'm sorry I wasn't good enough… for anyone… Malon."

Then, with a shudder, the Hero of Time joined the Lost Woods.

* * *

"Now, you know what regret truly feels like."

These were the words Link heard in his head as he came back to the real world, leaving the final memory behind. The Hero of the Wilds opened his eyes to see the ephemeral form of his ancestor watching him with emotionless eyes.

"That," the Hero of Time began "is my tale. Learn from it, please…"

Link nodded in response, feeling no words needed to be said.

An air of reverence seemed to form between the pair as a faint requiem played on the wind. It almost sounded like Epona's Song, Link realized. With a sigh, Link started to walk towards his steed, ready to leave and think on the lessons he had learned.

As he saddled Epona, the spirit of the Hero of Time walked up to him, smiling sadly at his descendant.

"I know you will never forget these lessons I have taught you, and not take your loved ones for granted."

The Hero of the Wilds nodded and responded with conviction, "I won't."

"Good, and…" The Hero of Time paused, thinking on his words for a moment before continuing his line of thought. "And live an adventure, create a legend, for both of us. Maybe then… maybe I can finally learn to put my regret behind me. Just maybe…"

"That I will."

"Thank you." The apparition smiled, before a look of confusion came to his face. "I'm sorry, I wanted to leave you with those words, but… I do not know what happens now. I was sure I would leave this world and finally be put to rest."

After the Hero of Time spoke, and as if on cue, the wind picked up in speed. Epona was alarmed by the sudden gust and nearly bucked the Hero of the Wilds off of her. Link quickly calmed here down, trying to soothe Epona and make himself heard above the wind at the same time. It wasn't until the wind calmed that Epona did the same. Once both were subdued, a soft, but audible voice could be heard.

Again, it was unmistakably Epona's Song, but it was louder than before and sounded much clearer.

"Epona's Song, again?" The Hero of Time spoke Link's thoughts. The apparition turned around, trying to find the source of the music. "Where is it coming… from…?"

Just as he asked his question, his voice trailed off and he found the source of the song.

Behind him stood two figures: one a child and unfamiliar, and the other an adult and very familiar to both Links now.

She stood a short distance from the pair of heroes, eyes closed as she sang her heart out. Her voice was beyond beautiful, so much so that Link believed she could give even the best Rito singers a run for their rupees. Meanwhile, the second figure, a child with hair as red as the woman singing, hid behind the woman's skirt. Her head was the only thing visible to both heroes.

What stuck out to Link the most, however, was that they had the same ghostly appearance that the Hero of Time had. And as he continued examining the pair of ghostly apparitions, the Hero of the Wilds noticed something in the hands of the woman. Before he could make out what it was, she finished her song, snapping Link out of his reverie.

Everything was quiet then, as the Hero of Time could only stare on in disbelief. He opened and closed his mouth several times, silenced by the pair's sudden appearance. Eventually, he spoke, uttering a single name as if to confirm what he already knew:

"Ma… Malon?"

The sudden utterance of her name caused the familiar, red-haired woman to smile brightly and nod.

Now sure that it was his wife, the Hero of Time allowed himself to smile and slowly walked towards Malon's ghost. Upon reaching her, the hero reached out his hands several times, still unsure of what to do, before Malon embraced him in a strong, longing hug. Again, Link did not know if spirits could cry, but from what he could tell from the Hero of Time's shaking shoulders, the Hero of the Wilds assumed it was possible.

It was at that point that Link was able to clearly see what was in Malon's hands: it was a bouquet of familiar white-blue flowers, with a yellow stigma, and rare to Hyrule; it was a bouquet of Silent Princesses.

As the pair broke up from each other, both turned their attention to the younger girl still hiding behind Malon's skirt. After exchanging a few hushed words, the Hero of Time knelt down to the girl's height and spoke to her. Slowly, but surely, he coaxed out the child from hiding and even made her smile. Then, taking the Hero of Time by surprise, the young girl rushed into him and hugged him, nearly knocking Link's ancestor off of his feet.

Malon and her husband laughed at the sight, continuing from where they left off so many centuries ago as if no time had passed at all.

The sight brought a soft smile to Link's face. He took this as his time to leave. Gently, he urged Epona towards the ruined entrance of Lon Lon Ranch.

The sun broke through the grey clouds then, allowing just enough light to break through to shine down on the ranch and the reunited family. Link turned around in his saddle one last time as he rode away and swore, for the briefest of seconds, he saw the ethereally familiar corral, barn, and house that once made up Lon Lon Ranch.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Well, there you have, that is the end of Link's first encounter with memories from his past. It took my quite some time to figure out exactly how to write this chapter, didn't come as easy as I'd hoped. With all the hard work I put into this, I really do hope y'all enjoyed this first part of the fic and that the ending was a good way to end it. Think y'all can understand why the first theme of this fic was regret.**

 **Now the next portion of this fic should come as no surprise to y'all, so I won't ask for a drum roll or any grand standing, but I will focus the next short story on…**

 **ILIA!**

 **Surprise, surprise, eh? Of course, it isn't, but it will be only three parts long – as of now – and actually focus on a different aspect of their relationship than y'all think I'm going to focus on. All I can say is, be prepared for something a little different compared to my other IliaxLink fics. Y'all have been warned.**

 **As for the third part of this fic, I put up a poll on my bio for y'all to check out. There are quite a few choices, but y'all only get one vote for account, so make it count. Go on there, vote, and check it out! I'll have the results in by the end of the next part – or maybe chapter – we shall see.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading y'all and hope you enjoyed. Please let me know what else y'all want to see and if y'all are happy with the poll choices. Leave a favorite, a follow, or a review, and make my day!**

 **Peace,**

 **nickdaman6**


	7. Chapter 7

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thank you!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Finding Home, Part One**

Link always had a sense of direction.

Even when he awoke from his century-long slumber, he still knew when the path he chose was the right one. If there was a cliff in the way, he'd climb it; if a cave was his only route, he'd go through it. Of course, he had an appetite that knew no end, spoke only when needed to – making him one of the least eloquent speakers – and he would consistently sleep in well past midday. But there were always three things he was good at and proud of: he fought with the intensity of a Lynel and the speed of a Lizalfos, he could cook a meal that would make even the finest chefs in Hyrule blush, and he always had a sense of direction.

Until now.

Something inside him – a sixth sense – always told him where he needed to travel and how to get there. So, when the Hero of the Wilds saw the entrance to Faron Woods, and he felt the urge to follow the path into the woods, he did so without hesitation. Link guided Epona from their original destination, a supposed fairy fountain, towards the shaded forest.

Not much later, he soon regretted listening to his sixth sense.

Only a few minutes into entering Faron Woods, he fell victim to a group of ambushing Lizalfos. Of course, they were not a challenge for Link, he dispatched them quickly and without difficulty. The hero's _real_ challenge occurred after the battle. Epona, like many other horses, was quite skittish around surprises – especially if said surprises involved six overgrown lizards trying to kill her and her rider. As the battle began, the mare bucked Link off of her and bolted deeper into Faron Woods at the enemies' sudden appearance.

Unable to handle both situations at once, Link finished the Lizalfos off before searching for his 'loyal' steed. That was easier said than done when she could have gone anywhere in Faron Woods and wasn't answering Link's call. This could only mean that Epona was nowhere near the hero.

It had been an hour since the ambush, and besides running into Kass, Link had no idea where Epona was or where his – until recently keen – sense of direction was leading him. The day had reached its peak and Faron Woods, though protecting its inhabitants from most of the sun's rays, was only heating up. The humidity of the sub-tropical climate was beginning to wear Link down. Eventually, it came to the point where the hero simply took off all of his clothes and stored them in the seemingly endless inventory of his Sheikah Slate. Now, he was naked, hot, aimless, and clueless as to where Epona was.

"I think… I think I hate this more than the Gerudo Desert," Link whined to himself. "I'll take dry heat over humidity any day. Why does humidity exist anyway?"

Just then, any remaining sunlight breaking through the canopy of Faron Woods disappeared. Link turned his eyes to the sky, seeing that clouds had blotted out the sun. Then, not much later, the hero felt a drop of water land on his nose. As the rain began picking up, Link couldn't help but smile.

"Oh, that's right, _now_ I remember why it exists."

The hero opened his mouth, happier now that there was a cooling rain to ward off the humidity. The moment was cut short, however, when he heard the familiar, looming sound of thunder close by.

Not much later, he felt a familiar static on his back.

Link sighed. "My life is just one divine joke to the goddesses, isn't it?"

He quickly jumped out of the way of where he stood, landing further off of the road and out of the way of the sudden lightning bolt that had struck his previous position only a second later. Another arc of static traveled up Link's back, causing him to dive deeper into the Faron Woods.

This continued on for a while, propelling Link further and further away from the road. Eventually, deep in the heart of the forest now, the lone hero found shelter in the form of a cave hollowed into the stone wall of the hill side. As he sprinted towards the cave, another bolt of lightning was slowly targeting him. Realizing he wouldn't make it to the cave in time if he kept running, Link dove towards the entrance, sliding through the rocky outcroppings just in time; the lightning hit not a second later just outside of the cave.

The Hero of the Wilds sighed in relief before feeling a stinging sensation on the front of his body. He turned his gaze down, noticing the rough interior of the cave had scratched up his chest. Link scoffed, likening his body to one of the murals he saw on his way in to Zora's Domain. Without hesitation, he reached for his Sheikah Slate to search for one of his many potions that could restore his stamina and heal his minor wounds.

As he brought out the green concoction of monster parts and insects, a strange wave of nausea coursed through him, followed by a round of soft voices. His head snapped up, searching everywhere for the mysterious voices, yet finding nothing. The voices seemingly emanated from the shadows and echoed off the cave walls. His search ended when his gaze finally landed on a ghostly visage, clad in a green tunic and hat.

The pair stared at each other for a moment.

The visage smirked.

Link's head hung loosely, and he muttered, "Not again…"

"Yes, again, my great-great-great-great-great-great-grand-whatever," the strikingly – and eerily – similar-looking spirit spoke. "Nice to finally meet ya, name's Link, though you probably already guessed that."

The Hero of the Wilds raised his head, his eyes trying to find something to focus on that wasn't… him. "Yes…"

"Good, then you know why I'm here, huh?"

Link sighed, before begrudgingly nodding his head.

"Good! Guess my great-great-grandfather explained it all pretty well, kid?"

"What was that…?" Link questioned, finally turning his attention to spirit of his ancestor.

"'Great-great-grandfather?'" the spirit echoed himself. "Yeah, the Hero of Time is my great-great-grandfather. Thought he explained that to ya."

"Yes, he did. I meant when you said 'kid.'" Link corrected.

Realization dawned on the spirit in the form of an annoyed expression. "Oh. Don't tell me you're one of them: people who get their unmentionables in a bunch for being called 'kid.'"

"I wasn't… but now…?"

"Ah, well tough pumpkins there, kid."

"'Tough pumpkins?'"

"Yeah, are you going to nitpick every word or phrase I say? 'Cause if you are, then I'm just gonna dive right back into the Hero's Soul there." The spirit poked at Link's heart. Oddly enough, the Hero of the Wilds felt a strange reverberation within him as his ancestor did so.

"What was…?"

"No more questions," the visage interrupted. "All I'm gonna say is I'm the Hero of Twilight and we're moving on."

"O…kay…?"

"You've heard of me, yeah?"

Of course, Link had heard of the Hero of Twilight and his valiant actions in the war against Zant and his invading Twili. However, the Hero of the Wilds would have never guessed his ancestor had a rancher's drawl – similar to Talon's, he recognized – was disheveled, or so arrogant. Deciding to dwell on it later, and move on, Link simply nodded his head, forgoing his questions.

The Hero of Twilight smirked. "Good."

Then, the pair heard a distant giggling echoing from within the cave. The spirit could only sigh, his face turning serious almost immediately.

"I guess it's time. Ready?"

Again, Link only nodded.

Instantaneously, he felt the familiar light-headedness and sense of dreaming that he felt when he visited the Hero of Time's memories. The sound of rain stayed constant and rhythmic, helping Link in losing himself in a trance. Joining in with the sound of falling water was a near continuous laughter, mixed in with some squealing... and – what stuck out to Link the most – the trace of a light pressure on his lips.

* * *

Rain fell over the entrance of the cave, creating a curtain of water that could be compared to a waterfall. From behind the falling water, a pair of young adults – a girl and a boy – watched the vertical streams tumble to the cavern floor. They laughed and spoke lightly, sitting close to each other in an attempt to stay warm. A small fire was burning in front of them, aiding in drying their clothes. The fire seemed to create a cozy atmosphere that could only be compared to one thing: home.

"I can't believe we didn't notice the storm coming in," spoke the blonde girl. She faced the figure sitting next to her, her dazzling green eyes seeming to entrance him as they had many times before. "This is your fault, you know?"

"Oh, and how is it my fault?" the male figure spoke mirthfully, his herding clothes drenched completely. "Wasn't it you that wanted to go to Faron Woods in the first place?"

"It was, but you decided to stubbornly take the lead, Link," the farm girl retorted victoriously.

"Because you were leading us towards Hyrule Field, Ilia," Link said in rebuttal.

The pair stared each other down for a moment, before the tension snapped and caused them both to break out into laughter. The joy-filled sounds echoed softly against the cavern walls, adding to the already cozy feel the secluded area had developed.

"Agree to disagree?" Ilia questioned once they had calmed down.

Link could only nod before leaning back and shifting his weight to his hands. "Well, I can't say it was a bad thing anyway."

Ilia continued to watch Link with a questioning glance. "Oh? Why is that?"

"We found this cave, of course! Kinda like our own little hideaway."

His childhood friend smiled in response, laying her chin on her folded arms. "That it is."

For a moment, they transferred their attention to the curtain of water currently cutting them off from the rest of the world. They were mesmerized by the streaming torrents that were defying gravity. It created an enchanting beauty that few would ever see in their lifetime. And yet, the pair knew that it wouldn't be anywhere near as special or inviting without the other.

The silence was broken only after a few moments by Ilia.

"Hey! If this is our hideaway, shouldn't we give it a name?"

Link responded with a straight face. "Doesn't that seem kinda, I dunno… childish, Ilia?"

Ilia puffed her cheeks at the slandering of her idea. "It's not childish! After all," she gave herself a second to calm down "this is our special place now, isn't it?"

"It is…?" her childhood friend asked dumbfounded.

"Of course it is, now we need to come up with a name, so think one up."

"How about 'cave' then?" Link suggested lazily, not even giving the name a minute's thought. "Simple, self-explanatory, and it'll give you an answer so we can talk about something else."

"Hm…"

The young ranch girl thought on the name for a moment, before replying, "Yes, yes, but not happening, because you're being lazy about the whole thing." Ilia stuck her tongue out playfully to emphasize her statement.

Link's cheeks turned a slight shade of red. He rubbed the back of his head before responding with, "Well, you know I'm the lazy type: I prefer the simple – and easy – things in life."

"How about 'Home?'" Ilia remarked instead of continuing the mock argument her and Link were having.

"Huh?"

The young ranch girl giggled at her friend's airheaded tendencies before scooting over closer to Link. Their skin grazed the other's, sending an electrifying sensation through each of them and causing Ilia to impishly turn her gaze towards the fire, before mumbling, "Let's name our little hideout 'Home.' After all, it's cozy, secluded, and… and you're here. That's all I really need for some place to be home."

While his friend spoke softly, almost inaudibly so, Link could only watch and admire Ilia as he had found himself want to do quite recently.

He didn't know what it was, but one day he suddenly found his childhood friend's once slightly irritable lectures endearing and meaningful; he saw her care for everyone in Ordon Village and admired her for it; and he couldn't help but stare into her green eyes whenever they locked with his blue eyes. It seemed contrasting to how he had always felt about Ilia, which was only amicable feelings. Now, however, he felt… an attraction to her. Again, he didn't know what it was, but all he knew was that he wanted Ilia to be beside him from now until the end of their days.

So, instead of scoffing and playfully bantering with her – like he usually would – Link instead responded with a smile, saying, "That's a good idea."

Ilia turned her head quickly to face Link, eyes wide in surprise. "You… think it's a good idea?"

Link nodded.

"No making fun of it?"

Link shook his head.

"No teasing me?"

Again, her friend shook his head.

"No saying, 'I can think of something better?'"

"No, Ilia," Link replied with a laugh. He placed his hand on Ilia's to stop her from babbling. "I think it's a great idea."

The young rancher found himself staring into Ilia's eyes again. His smile disappeared as their eyes stayed locked to each other. As he had many times in recent weeks, Link found himself being sucked in by the forest Ilia's eyes reminded him off. It was almost like they were trying to lure him in, and keep him there forever, much like the Lost Woods. Except, there was one key difference between Ilia's eyes and the Lost Woods:

Link didn't mind being lost in her eyes forever.

Instinct took over as Link quickly closed the gap between him and Ilia with his lips, meeting hers with an intensity that reflected his desires. Ilia, it seemed, felt just as strongly, quickly molding her lips to ship of Link's as the two shared their first kiss. Their breathing slowed as their minds raced before completely losing focus on everything except each other. Then, everything stalled: the rain paused, the fire doused, and their 'Home' forgotten as the two were completely lost in the moment. It was one of those first kisses that felt more than just right.

It felt perfect.

Eventually, when the two pulled apart, everything outside of their little sphere came roaring back to life. Yet the pair was still lost in each other's eyes: Link searching through the expansive meadow of the Ordonian farm girl; and Ilia wadding through the shallow waves of the young ranch hand that was her friend. Link smiled before cupping Ilia's cheek, causing the young farm girl to involuntarily move into his hand and place hers over it.

"Is that why you weren't making fun of it?" Ilia asked, watching Link with her lustily hazed eyes.

Her friend could only laugh before adjusting himself so that Ilia was now in his embrace and they were again facing the fire. "That's one of the reasons, yeah."

Ilia giggled as she leaned into Link, allowing her head to fall on his shoulder. "They're other reasons?"

"Well only one," Link simply answered.

"And that is…?" Ilia prodded after a few moments.

"It isn't obvious?"

Ilia shook her head.

Link smirked. "Well, it's because it's true. This is home."

"What do you mean?"

The young ranch hand shifted his gaze towards the fire. "It's… well… it's hard to explain," he began. "Whenever I'm around you, wherever we go, I have this feeling that follows me around. It's warm, fuzzy, and… accepting? It almost feels like that when I'm with you, no matter where we are, I'm home."

Ilia nodded her head, thinking on Link's words and his past.

The young ranch hand didn't know where he was from, arriving one day on a young foal named Epona and having lost his memory. All that Link knew about his past was that he came from a ranch located in Hyrule Field, he didn't know who his family was or what happened to them. Rusl, Link's mentor and adoptive father, went to investigate the young boy's claims, eventually discovering the destroyed ruins of what had once been a ranch in the middle of Hyrule Field. It wasn't until Link had long recovered from his wounds and was older that Rusl relayed the news to the new addition to Ordon Village. Once he had learned of what happened, he vowed to find those who had committed such a personal injustice, asking to stay in the village until he was old enough to do so.

Rusl, understanding Link's reasoning, agreed and convinced the rest of the Ordonians to allow him to stay. He and his wife, Uli, adopted the young boy as their own. The former of the two taught Link all he knew about swordsmanship, and both raised him and watched him grow until he was old enough to live by himself. Instead of taking off, like many in Ordon feared he would, Link instead decided to make his house on the outskirts of the village. Everyone was relieved that he chose to stay, believing that the young man in green thought the village was his home. Yet Ilia knew, deep down, that he still felt his home was elsewhere; that he needed to leave.

Until now, that is.

Link truly never knew what home felt like. But with Ilia, he now had an idea of what it was, and he didn't want to let it go.

"It's a feeling rather than a place for you," Ilia summed up sagely. She moved closer into Link, and gently guided his head so that they were now face to face with each other. "And I'm that feeling for you." He could only nod. "Then no matter what we do, where we go, or who we become, I just want to make one promise:"

Pausing, Ilia returned her kiss.

 _You'll be my home and I'll be yours…_

* * *

The last words Ilia spoke brought the Hero of the Wilds back to the present, echoing in his head as his eyes opened to see that the torrent of rain was still falling outside of the cave. He turned to see the Hero of Twilight at his side, staring at the ground, seemingly contemplating about what they saw. Instead of a smile, or even a ghost of smile on his ancestor's face, Link only saw him grimace.

"Home," the Hero of the Wilds said after watching the spirit for a moment.

Without turning his attention away from the cavern floor, the Hero of Twilight nodded and spoke. "That's why I can't move on, kid. It's funny, that was the closest to home I ever got… and I messed it all up."

"That day in particular?"

"Yes."

"You never saw her again?"

The Hero of Twilight paused, thinking on his next words before continuing. "I did, but the next day was the day I began my journey that would lead to me becoming the Hero of Twilight. It was a long while before I saw Ilia again. She was… stolen, kidnapped by King Bulblin. When we saw each other months later, she had lost her memory and I had changed. Even after her memory was restored, Ilia and I were just two different people from when we left Ordon Village. But she never realized that, until…"

The apparition halted in his speech, finally returning from his memories and coming back to the present.

"Until what?" Link questioned.

"You'll learn soon enough, kid."

The Hero of Twilight stood from his position and walked towards the cave's entrance, halting to turn and beckon Link to follow him.

"Let's go, the next memory won't be here. I can feel it," he urged, before smirking. "And put some clothes on. Trust me, you'll want them where we're going."

Link stood and looked down to realize that he still hadn't put his clothes back on. Giving himself a moment, he quickly re-equipped his blue tunic and tan pants. While hopping into his boots, the Hero of the Wilds asked, "You can feel where these memories are?"

"Of course, how do you think we know when to come out from that there Hero's Soul, huh? Trust me, we'll teach you as we go along. Now, come on. And listen to that damned soul."

With a wave of his hand, the Hero of Twilight crossed the watery threshold and into Faron Woods, the rain seemingly passing through him. Eventually, the apparition blended in with the falling water, visibly disappearing altogether.

Link hastily finished dressing before chasing after the now-invisible ghost of his ancestor. Not knowing where to go, the Hero of the Wilds sighed, wondering if he should give up and return to his search for Epona. But he realized this was to help him as much as it was to help the Hero of Twilight. So, with a deep breath, the hero closed his eyes, hoping to use the so-called 'Hero's Soul' to figure out where the Hero of Twilight went.

For a few peaceful moments, the hero meditated, focusing on the spot where the apparition had touched him earlier, recognizing that was where the soul laid.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

And the hero continued the cathartic practice before feeling a warmth in him. It tugged in a certain direction, almost pulling him. Realizing it was leading him towards the Hero of Twilight, Link opened his eyes and, without another moment's thought, followed the path the Hero's Soul laid out for him.

After all, Link always had a sense of direction.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Like I promised to all of you IliaxLink fans, here's the next chapter. Told y'all not to worry, I still ship them hardcore and will bring you the content you crave from them. However, there is only so much you can do with a pairing before everyone feels like the story being told is stale or a repeat of other fics.**

 **Therefore, this won't be heading in the direction y'all think it will be heading… Stay tuned.**

 **Now then, on to the next point of business, the poll is still up and running on my profile for who y'all would like to see focused on in the next part of this fic. At the moment, and very surprisingly might I add, Link and Ariel are winning! But that can be changed, as I will still have the poll up until I am done with Ilia and Link. So if you haven't voted yet, go and vote for the characters you want to see. Well, what are you waiting for? GO!**

 **As always, thanks for reading y'all. If there's anything y'all want to see, let me know in a review or PM. Posting this in the morning before work so I can hopefully see a few favorites, follows, and reviews when I come back, looking forward to what you guys have to say!**

 **Peace,**

 **nickdaman6**


	8. Chapter 8

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thank you!**

 **Chapter 8: Finding Home, Part Two**

The pig-like death knell of the sole moblin rang throughout the forest, echoing from tree to tree and ending at the collapsed waterfall of the Spring of Courage. Positive that all of the vile creatures were dealt with, Link sheathed his sword and continued walking towards the goddess statue at the end of the once-hidden chamber.

"Couldn't help me out there?" the Hero of the Wilds mumbled to himself, sure that the Hero of Twilight would answer.

Just as expected, a familiar ghostly visage of the old hero appeared next to him. "Wouldn't be fair if I did. We all fought on our own for the most part, might as well have you do the same. 'Sides, what am I, a spirit, gonna do? Walk through them without them knowing? Scare them half to death?"

"Distract them maybe?"

"It'd be too easy, kid." The Hero of Twilight leaned his head back into his hands, wearing a victorious smirk.

The Hero of the Wilds sighed in defeat, accepting that his ancestor wouldn't help him in fighting.

Or he was just too lazy.

"So, what am I doing here?" Link asked, ignoring his thoughts.

The pair stopped in front of the statue of the goddess. As it had happened every time before, the statue spoke to Link, saying it could help him on his journey. What was different this time, however, was the request to bring it a scale of a supposed dragon named Farosh. Link heeded the statue's words and accepted its terms with a silent demeanor, as he had numerous times before. He just hoped that this would be worthwhile to his cause and help in defeating Calamity Ganon. For now, he could only hope, as he had another task to focus on at present.

After the statue spoke, the Hero of Twilight followed suit. "Real nice lady, she is; Hylia, I mean. She's helped all of us and didn't ask for anything in return. Hell, I think one of our ancestors even married her, or the direct incarnation of her. Kinda fuzzy on the details, the Goddess's Chosen Hero doesn't like talking about his love life too much."

Link coughed into his hands, interrupting his ancestor and earning a questioning glance. Realizing he had gone off track, the Hero of Twilight rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment and apologized before continuing.

"Sorry, tend to do that. Anyway, back to me."

The Hero of Twilight's demeanor changed as he slowly examined the spring before him. A smirk tugged at his lips. "This place has changed, but it still brings back memories. What is this place called nowadays?"

Link, realizing the question was directed at him, pulled out his Sheikah Slate and immediately went to the map feature. He found their location quickly and read the location aloud.

"The Spring of Courage."

The visage shrugged. "Well guess it is in Farore, so makes sense it would be called that. In my time this place was known as a location where the Light Spirit, Ordona, lived. We called it Ordon Spring for short."

"And you've brought me here for another memory," Link spoke, phrasing his words as a statement rather than a question.

"Of course, now you're getting the hang of it, kid!"

The Hero of the Wilds groaned, something he was doing often today after meeting his ancestor. "And that memory is?"

At the mention of actually seeing the memory, the Hero of Twilight's mirth seemed to dissolve: his smirk turned into a frown, his arms fell to his side, and the air surrounding him felt melancholier. With a short sigh, the apparition said, "Close your eyes, and you'll see it. We're right where this happened."

Link nodded slowly, doing as he was told and forgoing asking any questions about his ancestor's sudden shift in attitude. The hero closed his eyes and was immediately washed in sounds of splashing springs and happy laughter. For a moment, Link didn't understand why his ancestor's demeanor had changed. From what he could tell, the memory sounded happy, pleasant, like a time where the Hero of Twilight may have actually found his home.

But soon, it all changed.

The Hero of the Wilds started to hear arguing, crying, and the panicked whinnies of a horse.

* * *

"I'm coming with you!"

The testament was not a statement, but a promise.

Link knew it.

He sighed, but maintained his focus on packing the side bags of Epona's saddle. It kept his fingers busy, calming his mind and allowing him to remain in the present. He couldn't sink back into the past again. He just couldn't…

Behind him, Ilia, with her own horse's reins in tow, stood in place defiantly, unwilling to budge or be swayed from her current course. Her feet, barefoot as ever, held firm in the sand, digging in deeper and preparing for Link's response. Unshed glistening droplets stung at her eyes, reflecting the dimmed twilight engulfing the world. As she took in a trembling breath, one tear fell unbidden down her cheek to the fine surface of the spring sand. She bit her lips, hoping to stop them from quivering and sending a brief instance of pain throughout her body to keep her grounded. The air was thick with tension, and she couldn't handle anymore. Her body was beginning to tremble and her heart started to tear in two. What more could she do?

"…please," she added with a choked voice, her sole word cracking in her throat.

"No," Link simply replied without turning to face Ilia. If he did, he knew her face – no her eyes would tear him down, make him feel vulnerable and unable to withstand her plea to come with him. He didn't even think he could muster the determination to say no to her asking him to stay if that happened. It was inevitable. He had to leave… but she kept pulling him back.

No longer.

"You know I need to go, Ilia. I don't want to, but I need to," the former hero eventually acquiesced, if only to appease her.

"You don't need to," Ilia responded calmly, regaining partial control of her voice, save for a lone hiccup. "You have your home here, in Ordon. But if your home isn't here any longer, then it's with me. So, let me come with you."

"Ilia…"

"No, I took this vow years ago when we were trapped by the rain in that cave in Faron Woods… remember?"

How could Link forget? He remembered the promise Ilia made to him that day as clear as water.

 _You'll be my home and I'll be yours._

That's what she said. Even now, it brought a ghost of smile to Link's face, however unwanted it was at this moment.

"…it was the same promise I made the day you proposed to me…"

Again, Link couldn't help but remember.

That day in particular, the sun was shining brightly upon Ordon Spring. Link eagerly awaited his childhood friend's arrival, standing in the cool, fall water proffered by the spring as its gift to the village. His heart had all but dimmed since his journey in twilight and Midna's swift departure, making him a shell of his former self. Even then, he was unsure of his feelings about Ilia. Of course, he still loved her, but he did not know in what way. His journey had changed him, stealing the mirth out of his eyes and the light out of his spirit. Yet his hope was that this day in particular would be the beginning of bringing that light back, and rekindle a happiness he had not felt in years. All he hoped for was that he and Ilia would be happy.

As Ilia accepted the simple band given to him as a gift by the Gorons, he felt that this was what would bring him back to the world of light and cut off all ties with twilight. For a while, it worked. His life improved after that, his happiness increasing nominally. Ilia had been an amazing woman to him: beautiful, calming, endearing, but also strong-willed and able to show Link the right path, sometimes by force. It was everything he could have hoped for…

…before his journey through twilight.

Eventually the dimmed realm came back to haunt him, in the guise of one, perfect sunset spent alone at Ordon Spring. After that, all of his happiness with Ilia nearly washed away, only rekindled – if for a brief moment – by the sight of his childhood friend and loving fiancée.

"…and it is the same promise I'm making now."

Ilia's words brought Link back to the present, even prompting him to stop what he was doing.

"We're home to each other Link, so stop closing your doors and let me in." The sound of sand crunching beneath her feet created a brief pause between her words. She kept walking forward, seeing that Link was making no move to leave. "I promised… at every point in my life I promised…" She spoke through a cracking voice, her unshed tears almost audible in between her words. Her arms wrapped around Link's torso from behind, her ear against his back to hear his breathing. For a moment, they both closed their eyes, taking in one, simultaneous breath.

"Let me in."

Those were the last three words Link would let her speak to try and convince him to stay. Gently, he turned towards Ilia, slowly creating space between them with his arms, his eyes still closed.

Memories flickered behind his eyelids. Dark nights, made only darker by his unknowing actions and the demons that haunted him, gave way to the panicked screams of a woman being choked – unbeknownst – by the man she loved. Her begging pleas trying to bring him back from the realm of his nightmares, but only enraging him more as he tried to slay the beast in his mind that dared threaten his peaceful existence.

It wouldn't die.

So, his grip tightened and his hatred increased, almost releasing in an unyielding war cry. The woman felt her life ebb away, surely as the ripples in Ordon Spring. Tears flooded her eyes, and her breathing become more and more constricted by the second. There was no escape. She would die at the hands of her own fiancé because of the terrors that still haunted him after all of those years. And she couldn't blame him. With a smile, she spoke those three words in staggering gasps that reminded him of the vow they held so dear to each other's hearts.

 _Remember… your… home…_

It was only then that he calmed down. His hands stopped shaking and loosened their grip on his fiancée's neck. She coughed, inhaling air rapidly and trying to replenish the rapidly decaying oxygen in her lungs. Not long after, Link's eyes opened and widened at the scene before him: his fiancée, next to their shared bed, crumpled on the floor, soft hand to her skinny neck, and red marks marring her fair skin.

His hands trembled as he put two and two together. He stared at them, hating them, hating himself; he couldn't stand himself. So, he left, leaving behind a sobbing, yet loving fiancée who wished he was still by her side.

Link finally opened his eyes after reliving the memory from only a couple nights ago. His gaze carefully traveled up Ilia's form, stopping at the red marks around her neck, a reminder of his doings. Slowly, he continued, stopping again at the hurt he saw in his fiancée's face, the anguish in her eyes. Tears were nearly falling over the brim of her eyelids, threatening to stain her cheeks and clothes again. It tore at Link's heart. For a moment, he feared he would give in and take Ilia with him. Or, worse yet, he would stay, and become a permanent threat to the one he considered home. He couldn't let that happen.

With a resolve he didn't know he possessed, Link took control of his emotions and spoke. "I can't let you come with me, Ilia."

With those few words, Ilia's world came crashing down around her. Link saw all of it. Her arms fell limply to their sides and her eyes appeared empty, showing nothing as they watched everything she ever wanted crumple. Of course, they were just words, but the way her fiancé spoke vocalized them made them sound absolute. It was then she knew she had lost him and their chance at home. More tears followed as she stood still.

Link couldn't take it anymore. He turned back to Epona and took her reins in his hands. Without even glancing Ilia's way, he led his trusty stead away from the spring. As he passed Ilia's horse, he finally heard her speak up again.

"You can't leave us, Link…" she pleaded.

The former hero stopped in his tracks, giving Ilia a glance over his shoulder. "The village… I hope they'll understand, Ilia."

"I'm not talking about the village."

This piqued Link's interest, earning his full attention once again. Fearing what Ilia truly meant, the hero still voiced his question. "Then what do you mean by 'us'?"

By this point Ilia and Link were once again staring at each other, gauging the other's expressions and movements. Said movements told her fiancé all he ever needed to know. A tremble of her lips; the deep, forfeiting breaths; and a movement of her hands to her stomach, just above her naval. Right where her body would show signs of the growth of an unborn child. _Their_ unborn child.

At the realization, Link's body went rigid, eyes wide, and breath completely halting. He was prepared to leave his village – his family; equally so with Ilia – his home. Yet a child – his child – was a different matter entirely. Could he leave his own blood to grow up without its real father, just as he had?

The willpower of the hero was tested, and Link knew it. Everything screamed at him to stay, provide for his family, his home, and his child. All of his instincts pleaded to stay, his own wishes choosing to realign. Yet as he was about to take a step towards Ilia, to embrace her, to say he could never leave, a memory rang in the back of his mind.

 _Link… I…_

An image of a woman not of this realm flashed before his eyes. One, sole tear floated towards the Mirror of Twilight, _her_ one, sole tear. Her trademark, cocky grin, unchanging even though she had reverted to her original form, etched painfully into his mind's eye. There was sadness in her smile, all three present knowing it would be the last time the Hylians saw it. Once her tear made contact with the mirror, it cracked. The hero and the princess made to go after her, to do something to stop the quickly shattering crack, but there was nothing to be done. With the deed finished, and her promise to Hyrule fulfilled, the woman not of this realm jumped through the barely-whole mirror to the Twilight Realm before it completely shattered.

 _… See you later…_

Only then did Link halt his movements, his hesitance as plain as his Hylian ears. Ilia sensed it, knowing her childhood friend's tells. Tears prickled her eyes. Everything returned crashing down around her.

"I'm sorry…" was all the former hero could utter before turning back towards Epona.

With only a moment's hesitation, Ilia charged at her friend. Her fiancé. _Her_ hero.

Her child's father.

She clamped onto his arm, begging through the tears for Link not to leave. "You can't just leave, Link! I'd understand if it was just me; I'd forgive you if it was just me. But we are about to have a child, _our_ child. I can't just let you leave us!"

"Ilia, please…" Link pleaded softly.

"They're yours!"

"Ilia…"

"Ours!"

"Please…"

"He needs his father! You can't just leave him to grow up a bastard like you!"

At this, the hero's guilt-ridden rage, which had kept itself hidden for so long, broke free. The wolf had dismantled its chains.

It was quiet, at first. "I am _not_ my father. He had no choice in that matter."

Ilia released her grip on her fiancé's arm, realizing the boundary she had overstepped.

"My _mother_ had no choice in the matter."

Quiet irritation turned to leveled anger turned to outrage. His eyes switched to Ilia, a deep-rooted wrath caused by a corrupted soul staring daggers at her.

"I _do_ have a choice, a choice to save all of you! Something is broken inside of me! And the only way I can fix it, the only way I can _protect_ you, and the village, and our… our child from it is to leave and find the cure. How can you not understand!?"

With that, lost in his anger, Link shoved his fiancée to the ground to make his escape. But her body fell right in front of her barely-trained steed. Startled, the horse rose on his hind legs, searching for an escape from the fighting. With nowhere to go, his hooves fell to the sandy shores of Ordon Spring.

Right on top of Ilia.

The cry of pain echoed clearly throughout all of Ordona and into Faron Province. Alerting the villagers, alarming the animals, reverberating off of the trees, and pulling Link from his psychologically-driven chaotic madness.

* * *

 _Ilia!_

The sole name screamed through the Hero of the Wilds memory as he was thrown back into reality. Shocked by what he had so clearly seen, Link's breath caught in his throat, forcing him to his knees. Unable to fully regain control of his breathing, the hero spilled all of the contents of his stomach onto the shrine's floor. Only then, through the tears and his own bodily fluids, was Link able to breathe properly. He took in gulps upon gulps of air, before he could reign himself in.

Once he did, however, a steely-blue, angered glare was focused on the shade of his ancestor.

Without even turning to face the Hero of the Wilds, the Hero of Twilight muttered, "Don't look at me like that, kid."

"Why?" was all his descendant asked.

"Reasons far beyond your current understanding. My mind… was a messed-up place back then. A dark, distorted mess of a husk. Me."

"She wanted to help you."

The Hero of Twilight whirled around, meeting the Hero of the Wilds gaze with eerily similar mimicry.

"Don't you think I know that!" he yelled. "I saw she could help me, I saw that everyone I knew could help me! But I couldn't help them or myself! I was a danger to them all. Especially to Ilia…"

"Plain as day," Link jabbed agitatedly.

"Don't talk down to me like that, kid. You don't know what I went through…" The cap of the Hero of Twilight hid his expression from his descendant, making him unreadable.

But the Hero of the Wilds didn't back down. "I saw my entire world burn. My duty shirked unwillingly." Link stood from his spot and walked over to his ancestor. "Our sword entrusted to me nearly destroyed. Zelda… Princess Zelda almost killed. I protected her to my last breath, was reborn, awoke – confused – to a mysterious destiny, and have almost died everyday since trying to save her and Hyrule. And you don't think I know what you went through?"

Link's rapid rejoinder forced the Hero of Twilight to once again face him, his eyes softer now. The Hero of the Wilds breathed rapid breaths as quick as his lungs could handle. He began walking towards the entrance of the shrine, aiming to leave the spirit to walk his restless journey alone. Unending, unrelenting.

"You represent our worst values, Hero of Twilight," the Hero of the Wilds whispered as he walked past the apparition.

All that was heard in the shrine was Link's dwindling, echoing steps as he made his way towards the exit. Just as he was about to leave, the Hero of Twilight spoke again.

"She lived."

Those two words ended Link's march. He turned back towards his ancestor, accusation still clearly present in his eyes, but guilt now taking over the Hero of Twilight's.

"And the child?"

The spirit bowed his head, seemingly giving the Hero of the Wilds his answer. But what his ancestor said next surprised Link.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" Link asked incredulously. "Did you just leave her in her agony?"

Again, the Hero of Twilight's eyes shot up and glared at his descendant. "Never, kid. I would _never_ leave her side in her most painful hour."

"Yet you were about to," Link quipped.

The Hero of Twilight made to defend himself, but halted, knowing nothing he would say could assuaged the guilt his descendent was placing on him.

"There is one more memory I need to show you, kid. See it. Then, maybe, you'll understand. Maybe _I'll_ understand. Just… please…" the Hero of Twilight begged, desperately wanting to find his absolution after death. "Please…"

He reached his hand towards his descendant, hoping upon hope that he would take it.

Reluctantly, Link did just that, not knowing if he would actually grasp the apparition's hand, or if it would pass through entirely. Surprisingly, it gripped on, taking hold of the physical manifestation of the Hero of Twilight.

Unsure what was to happen next, the Hero of the Wilds kept his gaze matching his ancestor's, unwavering. Before he let the memory take over Link reminded the Hero of Twilight, "Funny, that's exactly how Ilia pleaded."

Then, Link's mind left him and returned to the past.

* * *

 **This was… painful to write, to say the least. Those of you who have read my other IliaxLink fics know just how much I support this pairing. So, you can understand why this hurt me. Not being able to write a loving short snippet about them, but instead writing one of the more hurtful scenes I wrote made me realize how twisted I could be with my writing.**

 **Yet, it's what I wanted to do. For practice, but to also write something more compelling than "they lived happily ever after." Sometimes, people don't get that: they get the worst possible outcome. With Link's (the Hero of Twilight) distorted thoughts and view on the world after his journey should be explored, after all he went through a lot. And Ilia went through a lot too, feeling like she needs her hero in order to stay safe and keep her child safe after being kidnapped. Without him, something horrible would again happen to her and Ordon Village. Or that's her thought process. PTSD, it's a bastard and a half.**

 **Anyway, away from the self-analyzing of my own writing, onto other things. One, yes, it has been a while, but I'm getting back into the swing of things with this and two other fics. I'll let you guys guess what those are, you should see soon enough. Or, you may have already seen some changes and steps forward, who knows.**

 **Also, I still have that poll up on my bio for who should be next in this arrangement of short stories. I will announce the winner next chapter, but you have until then to put in your vote. And not telling y'all who's winning, I'll keep that my little secret. Hehe.**

 **Happy to be back, y'all, and even happier you have read up to this point. This was a long A/N. So, the usual, leave a critique if on how I handled this scene (it's definitely one I need feedback on, so it'd be much appreciated!). Until then…**

 **Peace,**

 **nickdaman6**


	9. Chapter 9

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thank you!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Finding Home, Part Three**

A fire's soft glow and quiet crackle permeated the atmosphere of Kakariko Village's largest building – the home of the shaman, Renado, and his daughter, Luda. Two familiar visitors now shared the space of the vast central chamber.

The sun had dipped below the horizon hours ago, leaving the torches as the only source of light, providing little light to properly treat Renado's patient. She lay on one of the clay beds, a rug providing her some comfort as the shaman tended to Ilia, who he considered to be a second daughter.

It was late at night when her and Link had arrived at his door, the latter begging for help. Something had happened to Ilia involving a startled horse injuring her. Apparently, the hero had ridden all day to Kakariko Village, thinking that Renado was the only one who could possibly save his fiancée. While a doctor in Castle Town could have better treated the young woman, the shaman knew his way around healing and medicines, and was trusted by the two Ordonians. Even then, however, the extent of Ilia's injuries was troubling.

"Can you help her?" Link had begged.

Reluctantly, still unsure if he could properly treat Ilia, Renado nodded his head, taking the young woman into his arms and laying her down. He ordered Luda to fetch his medicines and the proper equipment. She did as was ordered and left Link and her father.

Upon removing the young woman's shirt to better see the state of her injuries, Renado gasped. It was far worse than Link had described.

Externally, it appeared to be just a deep, purple bruise in the center of Ilia's stomach. Yet even Link could see the red under it, indicating possible internal bleeding. Not to mention any possible damage to the young woman's spine or organs from the horse's single strike to her abdomen. Everything about this injury screamed emergency.

Seeing Ilia's wound sent a worrying chill down Link's spine as he remembered that his fiancée was also pregnant. What of their unborn child?

Link stepped back from Renado, fear clearly etched into his features, making his body rigid and his eyes wide.

The shaman noticed the action, turning to the former hero calmly. His words were relaxed. "Link. Tell me exactly what happened?"

"I… she…" Link couldn't speak, hard-pressed to describe what had happened.

"Please, it is to help Ilia."

The former hero sighed after allowing silence to drag on for a few moments as he collected his thoughts. "I was… leaving Ordon Village. She tried to join me and I told her to stay. Even if I wouldn't be returning, the village was her home, but not mine. Not anymore, anyway."

Link paused, again taking stock of what he was about to say. Meanwhile, Renado patiently waited, choosing not to press the hero further on his plans to leave Ordon Village. The shaman would return to that later.

"We got into a fight, and I pushed her. She fell and startled her horse. That was when it happened. The horse's hoof came right down on Ilia's stomach. Everything seemed surreal then. Without thinking, I picked her up and mounted Epona to come here." Link added offhandedly, "I don't even think anyone in the village knows where we are."

"Ah, but you acted quickly so to save Ilia?" Renado questioned without any accusation in his tone.

Link nodded his head.

"Before you even continue your line of thinking, Link, this isn't your fault." The shaman's words, which would have sounded like useless comforting from anyone else, served as a means to ground the hero. "We all know what you went through, and how that can stem to your actions. It was an accident."

"But I still did it…" Link reminded the shaman.

"But not on purpose," Renado reaffirmed.

"And what if I did!?" Link snapped. "My head is messed up, Renado! Maybe I did it on purpose so I could forfeit my responsibilities to her and the village! You ever think of that? Maybe I am just as messed up as people believe, maybe I am a monster, maybe… maybe…!"

All of the energy quickly dissipated from the former hero as he collapsed to his knees. Quietly, he muttered, "She's pregnant, Renado."

At the mention of Ilia's pregnancy, the shaman's eyes widened in fear. He quickly turned back to his patient, forgoing anymore words. "Then I must act swiftly, if I am to save her and the child. But I can't promise anything."

In response, the hero gave a grunt of acknowledgement before standing.

"I will do my best, I can promise you that much, Link," Renado spoke without turning.

Another grunt of acknowledgement as the former hero started walking towards the door.

He needed air.

He needed to let Renado work.

He needed to leave.

As Link burst through the door leading towards his salvation, he nearly ran into Luda. Almost flipping over the young girl who was carrying medical supplies, the former hero halted himself.

"Link?" she questioned unassuredly.

"Luda, I… s-sorry… I need to… I need to go," the Ordonian stammered out as he moved past her, trying to get to Epona.

The shaman's daughter turned to him, and stopped him in his tracks with one, simple question: "Where are you going?"

It was an easy question that should have had an easy response. But as Link thought on it, rooted in his place by the simple interrogation, he found it was difficult to answer. Eventually, he saw that he _didn't_ havean answer. Worse yet, he realized he was once again running away from Ilia.

"I… don't know," Link settled on.

After a few silent moments, her heard Luda set down the items she was carrying and came up to him. The former hero's attention turned towards the shaman's daughter.

"Then let me ask something else: _why_ are you going?"

Unbeknownst to Luda it was a loaded question. To Link, he found he couldn't give her a simple answer. It was as long and complex as his journey through Twilight to save Hyrule. But it caused him to pause all the same.

Link chuckled humorlessly. "You're smart for your age, Luda."

Despite the situation, she smirked. "People say that is my father's doing."

"I believe it."

"You're avoiding the question."

" _Really_ smart for your age," Link dodged.

" _Still_ avoiding the question," Luda parried. "No amount of flattery will help you. So, please, that I may aid my father and Ilia, tell me."

Link sighed, knowing he couldn't just leave the people in Kakariko Village, or Ilia, without a direct answer.

"It's a long story. Sure you can handle it?"

Luda nodded.

"Okay. Well, it all started after Hyrule was saved from Twilight. The journey had made me tired and want nothing more than home, comfort, friends. It was all I wanted, during and after everything that had happened. Yet, that all seemed to change thanks to a certain princess imp and my weak mind."

Link shook his head. "I was a fool to think things would go back to the way they were, the way I imagined them to be. One where I thought, after the adventure, the hero would live happily ever after with his family. But… that day never came, nor will it.

"I've been plagued with nightmares, Luda, and waking terrors that continue to haunt me. The comfort of Ordon, of knowing Hyrule and Ilia and everyone else was safe wasn't – _isn't_ – enough to bring me back to my full self."

At this point, the former hero collapsed to his knees. "I'm a threat to everyone I know, Luda. Because I can't control myself, I can't come to terms with what I've seen, done, and lost. Nothing I do fixes it, and I don't know what to do. All I know is that I have to leave. To find the answers I'm looking for, to find that comfort again, and keep everyone safe from me – the wolf. You've already seen Ilia. Whether intentionally or not, I did that to her. Now, she might be injured for life and… and…"

Link couldn't bare to utter the words that his unborn child might be dead. While already damaged, this would only shatter the Ordonian. Truly, before Luda, was a broken man; a broken hero.

The Hero of Twilight was no more; only the _former_ Hero of Twilight – a shell of his past self – was left.

The shaman's daughter understood all of this in mere seconds, having learned from her father what it means to help someone through trauma, whether it be physical, mental, or emotional.

She knelt down next to Link and put her hand on his shoulders comfortingly, once again earning his attention.

"You believe you'll be a disappointment or danger to your family, and that you believe you know how to fix this, but you are unsure of where to begin. Once you have found this answer, do you think you can return to Ordon Village the man you were, with a clean conscience and ready to come to terms with your past on your own? For I am afraid, as my father would say, what you seek may be beyond your reach."

Again, Link was stunned by how intelligent this young girl before him actually was. But, in a few sentences, she had summed all he had felt. So, when it was his turn to respond, the former hero could only nod.

Luda sighed, seemingly afraid of that answer. She stood up from her spot and went to collect the items she was carrying to bring to Renado. After collecting her belongings, she looked over her shoulder and added, "Then go. Trust me when I say, and father would agree, you must do what you believe is right to fix your mind. No one knows yourself better than you. If you believe it is best you leave everyone behind to seek the truth, to find whatever it is that will help you achieve peace, then go. Please, for all of our sakes and yours."

Tears pulled at Link's eyes. Here Luda was, someone who, with the right words, could easily assuage him to stay by Ilia's side. Instead, she told him to leave, to be selfish for once in his life. After all this time, that was what the former hero needed to hear.

With renewed conviction, he stood up and made his way to Epona, mounting his steed. He hesitated for only a moment before catching Luda as she opened the door.

"Luda. Can you pass on a message to Ilia when she wakes up?"

* * *

The memory slowly melted away, leaving Link hanging on the words that his ancestor wished to relay to Ilia after she awoke. Opening his eyes, he noticed he was staring at the Hero of Twilight once again.

Unblinking, unwavering, with grim features, the spirit answered the unspoken question with a choked whisper. "' _Someday, I'll come home, Ilia_.' That was the message…"

Then, in his turmoiled visage came a crack that slowly shattered the former hero into pieces, bare for his descendant to see. Only then did Link see the reality of being a broken hero.

Finally, he felt pity for the man.

Surprisingly, when Link placed his hand on his ancestor's shoulder, it didn't phase through, it actually felt like it was touching someone. "And you never did return home, did you?"

After a few terse moments of solemnity, the Hero of Twilight nodded his head. With a still crackling voice, he continued. "The only chance I had at ever feeling like I was at home was thrown away. I only have myself to blame for that. For years after I left Ilia in the care of Renado, I didn't return to Ordon Village once. Never knew what became of her, never knew what became of our child. Home is what keeps me here, for I never found it. I don't know if I ever will."

Link let his hand fall to his side, a hint of empathy etched on his face. "From what I saw with the Hero of Time, he was able to reconcile his past. The same could happen to you."

"No, kid, I don't think it can," the Hero of Twilight responded hopelessly. "Our ancestor, he was able to reconcile with everything because he felt regret. Upon seeing Malon, he came to terms with his past, because he knew, that in his wife's eyes and his daughter's eyes, who he saved, he was a hero. All of it came full circle for the Hero of Time. Even when I met him, I couldn't help him do that. Now, you're meeting me, and I can tell you there is no way to help me find my home."

The Hero of Twilight turned away from the Hero of the Wilds, focusing his gaze on the statue of Hylia. With a sad smile, he spoke the words that would seal his fate:

"My home is gone forever."

Link, expecting this to be some kind of reconciliation, searched around the spring, hoping to find a ghostly visage of the girl with green eyes that he had become so familiar with, or a young child perhaps, with the eyes of the Hero of Twilight and the hair of the woman he considered home. But neither phantom appeared so they could forgive Link's ancestor.

There was no home for him to return to.

Again, as Link understood the ramifications and thorough decisions of his ancestor, he came up to the ghostly visage, hoping to assuage a portion of his guilt.

"Do you remember why you left Ilia?"

Upon hearing the question, the Hero of Twilight turned to Link with an arched eyebrow. "That's an odd thing to ask. Of course, I do."

"And why was that?" Link needed his ancestor to come to the realization himself.

"To help myself and protect Ilia and Ordon Village from what I've become."

"Precisely. A purely selfish decision with equally selfish consequences," Link added thoughtfully.

"Get to the point, kid," the Hero of Twilight retorted agitatedly.

"But the consequences were also selfless."

At this, the ghost squinted in confusion. "By that you mean…?"

"That yes, you left those you loved, abandoned them. But in doing so, you protected yourself and them. It may have been selfish, and I don't wholly agree with your actions, but you protected Ilia from yourself, because you knew you couldn't reconcile with your journey. Luda saw it, I'm sure Renado saw it, Ilia was just too scared for you to leave. She wanted a home for you and her. In its own way, that was selfish."

Link concluded sagely, "Life as a hero is full of selfless decisions to be made, ones that can come with consequences to the hero. I know that all too well." A flash of regret flitted across the Hero of the Wilds face. "But every once in a while, we need to make a decision based on ourselves to protect those dear to us, even if it means disappointing them in the process. What you did was the right thing to do."

Again, silence reigned between the pair of heroes as Link's words settled in. Then, the Hero of Twilight started chuckling, evolving into full-blown laughter. It echoed off the walls of the spring and, for a moment, both of them were reminded of the afternoon when Ilia and the Hero of Twilight shared a home, if only for a day. Link could only watch his ancestor, though a smile crept up to his face.

Once the former hero had calmed down, he wiped an imaginary tear away from his eye and said, "That was a strange roundabout way to put it. You really aren't good with words, are ya, kid?"

Link sighed, albeit amusedly. "So I've been told."

"That's okay, none of us are. We only speak when we need to. Though, I have been told I am the loudest." Despite himself, the Hero of Twilight smiled. "But thanks, kid. I needed to hear that. The decision I made was the right one, and I ran from that the rest of my life, so much so that it pursued me into this life. I wallowed in self-pity and grief because of it, but I need to accept that I would have harmed my home even more if I stayed. So, maybe, it was best that I left it behind.

"After all, we all change, yeah?"

Link smiled and nodded his head.

"Then… I think I'll be alright."

"I'm glad to hear it," the Hero of the Wilds responded.

The former hero smirked, then shooed his descendant away with a wave of his hand. "Good, now run along, kid, I still have some thinkin' to do."

"You're not coming?" Link asked.

"Nah, don't worry about me. I won't reconcile anything this time, so you'll see me soon. But for now," the Hero of Twilight turned to the statue of Hylia "I just need a few moments alone."

The Hero of the Wilds nodded his head. "Understood. Then I hope to see you again, soon."

With a grunt of confirmation from the Hero of Twilight, Link turned to leave the shrine, making his way back to Faron Woods to find Epona.

As he left, he heard his ancestor mutter just loud enough for him to hear, "Don't worry, kid. I'll catch up to ya."

* * *

Surprisingly, it took Link no time at all to find his trusty steed. After trudging through the swamp from the Spring of Courage (the Hero of the Wilds added _Ordon Spring_ next to the location in the Sheikah Slate's map), he found Epona waiting patiently for him. The hero shook his head before mounting her and leading her towards a safe spot to camp, seeing as the sun was to set soon.

Eventually, they came back to the crossroads where Kass was perched. Again, he greeted the hero kindly and with a song. Once the Rito had finished his piece, Link started setting up camp off of the well-worn path, asking his friend if he'd care to join him and Epona. With a smile, Kass accepted the offer.

So, after setting up camp and cooking a fine meal, Kass and Link sat around a campfire trading stories as the night sky came into view through the thick canopy of trees.

"Ah, and that constellation there, my friend, is known as 'the Mask,'" Kass continued his talk of constellations in the sky, stringing along stories associated with the astronomical pictures. "They say it was meant to destroy the world by calling on the power of the moon. Yet, a deity of fierce fortitude came to stop the mask's dark desires. He saved the world from an engulfing fire. Or, that's what my teacher taught me of the constellation."

"Is that story true?" Link asked.

"It is just a legend, my friend. Though, every legend has some truth to them."

Link hummed in agreement, before spotting another constellation he vaguely recalled and pointing it out. "And that one, Kass?"

The Rito followed the hero's finger, quickly picking out the indicated collection of stars. "Ah, that one is a tragic tale."

From what the pair could see, the stars created several sharp angles, vaguely forming a shape of what appeared to be a wolf's face. Two bright stars equidistance apart formed shining eyes that seemed to be glaring down at Hyrule.

"That is 'the Wolf,' and it ties into the Legend of Twilight that has been long lost to us since the calamity."

At the mention of his ancestor's tale, Kass captured Link's curiosity. "You mean the one about the Hero of Twilight?"

Kass beamed. "The very one. But his tale as a wolf is the tragic part. It is said that he was cursed with the bestial form during and after his journey, burdened with the ravenous desires of a wolf. It caused him to lose himself. No one knows exactly what happened, but misfortune followed the former hero wherever he went, forcing him to abandon his life and journey across Hyrule in atonement. Again, for what, we do not know."

As Kass finished his story, a howl permeated through the night sky. It sounded too close for comfort, so Link drew his weapon, just in time to see a wolf jump into the outer reaches of the campfire's light. The Hero of the Wilds pointed his sword at the beast, ready to fight it if needed. But it didn't move. It just sat on its haunches outside of the fire, watching the Hero of the Wilds closely.

Kass, for his part, stayed still as he examined the wolf. "My, what a strange guest we seemed to have unknowingly invited to our fire. Those markings on his fur, green, much like the forest. And his tail, so sharp. Is that… an earring? How odd, but the most intriguing feature is…"

"His eyes," Link finished.

"Yes."

The wolf's eyes glistened in the fire. They were a deep blue in hue but shined like sapphires. A familiarity welled up in Link upon seeing those eyes and being lost in the stormy sea they created. Behind them, he realized there was more to this wolf than just his animalistic nature. That was when Link put the pieces together.

With Kass' story fresh in his mind, and the events of the day weighing upon his shoulders, Link seemingly recognized the wolf in front of him. The Hero of Twilight's words echoed in his head.

 _"'Sides, what am I, a spirit, gonna do?"_

He found a way to help.

 _"Don't worry, kid. I'll catch up to ya."_

And he did.

Link smiled and took a piece of the leftover meat from his and Kass' meal. In an act to placate the wolf, he threw the food towards him. Swiftly, the wolf caught the food, ravenously tearing into it. Once he was finished, he came to Link, deciding to lie down by the hero's feet and basking in the fire's warmth.

The wolf eyed Link, eventually nudging the hero's hand with his nose. Rolling his eyes, the Hero of the Wilds gave into the wolf's demands and scratched the area behind the animal's green ears.

"Can't believe a filthy mut like you is my ancestor," Link remarked.

He a received a short bark in return.

"Spoiled."

"Your ancestor?" Kass questioned.

"It's a long story, Kass. Someday, I'll tell it to you," Link answered with a smile.

The Rito smiled in turn. "I eagerly await that day." He raised his hand to his chin. "You are a strange one though, Link."

The Hero of the Wilds eyed the wolf as he stretched himself out before the fire, getting comfortable.

"So I've been told."

* * *

 **That's the end of Finding Home. Again, never really expected to write a sad story about Ilia and Link. Oh well, gives me a different perspective, helps with writing and characterization… y'all get the point.**

 **Anyway, hope you guys like what I did at the end there. I thought adding wolf Link into the picture might make for a little fun in the future stories. And he's there for plot purposes in one of the future sections. Though I'm sure you guys can make a guess or two as to who that may involve.**

 **Speaking of next section, the results are in for the poll! And the winner is…**

 **Link and Aryll!**

 **OH, a new perspective piece. I like it. Now this will do with sibling relationships between the duo, mostly focusing on just before and shortly after the events of Wind Waker. Not my favorite Zelda game, but I do like the idea of pursuing a different route outside of romance. It'll make for a good time, me thinks. I'll repost the poll with different choices, so go and vote!**

 **With a Happy Mother's Day to all of you – especially the mothers who take time to read this – reviews are appreciatively reviewed, favorites are honorably favored, and follows are as follows: enjoyable to see the notification.**

 **Peace,**

 **nickdaman6**


	10. Chapter 10

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thank you!**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Those I Left Behind, Part One**

They were both silent in the morning fog; specters, that's all they could be described as, flitting in and out of the clouds that hugged the ground. Their legs carried them quietly through the brush of the forest, allowing the unlikely pair to sneak up on their prey. It was Link, the Hero of the Wilds, who broke the silence first, quietly hushing his four-legged companion behind him. The Hero of Twilight, stuck in his lupine form, understood the command easily.

Peering through a bush, they spotted their query grazing on the grass in the early morning light. The deer enjoyed its meal too eagerly, hardly giving notice to its shadowy stalkers. A perfect hunt.

Link brought his bow taut to his chin, aiming the arrow at the unsuspecting creature that would be his and his ancestor's breakfast. Yet as he pointed his weapon at the buck, he paused, seeing his shot still marred by leaves from the foliage. Internally, he cursed, knowing his movements would have to be quieter and more precise if he were to move any closer to the deer.

Keeping an eye on his prey, Link did just that. Searching stealthily for any minute movements that might give him away, eyeing the deer with a bestial urge of hunger, and paying too much attention to his hunt that he stepped on a single, crackling branch.

In the eerie early morning atmosphere, the quiet breaking of the twig may as well have been a clap of thunder. Link and the Hero of Twilight cringed, slowly turning their gazes back to the buck, who was eyeing them intently. At a stalemate, neither parties dared budge, but were ready to jump into action at the slightest of movements. It was the hunter who moved first, deciding to fire his weapon as quickly as he could. Aim was compromised and so was power, but a chance at hampering the buck would have been better than simply letting it run away.

Such an outcome didn't occur, as the deer quickly bolted out of range of the arrow. Thus, the chase began.

The lupine Hero of Twilight sprinted out of the clearing, sparing Link an annoyed glance before barking and chasing after their breakfast. For his part, the Hero of the Wilds only allowed himself a disappointed sigh before following his ancestor. There would be hell for that later, Link knew.

After running through the brush, and receiving a few shallow scratches for his efforts, Link came to a clearing ending at a cliff. He saw his ancestor had cornered the deer, but he could only keep it backed up against the sheer drop and was unable to strike the creature without letting it get away. The Hero of the Wilds readied an arrow, knowing his bow would make the difference

Before Link could aim, the Hero of Twilight snapped too aggressively at the deer, causing it to jump back too far and fall off of the cliff. They heard the poor animal's distressed cries as it rolled down the drop towards the beach below. The pair walked up to cliff, staring down at the now mangled corpse of their hunt.

A gentle sea breeze blew through Link's hair, subconsciously causing him to tuck a few strands behind his ears. "Expertly done," the hero commented bluntly.

His ancestor barked happily in response.

"But you're getting all the pieces with small bones in it."

The Hero of Twilight growled.

Link waved him off, chuckling. "It's your punishment."

The wolf nodded at Link's arrow, causing the young hero to scowl. "Alright, fine. We both messed up. Enough arguing. Come on, before some wayward Bulblins take our breakfast."

Sheathing his bow and with a flourish from his Sheikah Slate, the Hero of the Wilds produced a glider that had proven more than useful on his journey. Readying the item, he turned to his ancestor who silently acknowledged he was prepared. Without waiting any longer, Link ran off the side of the cliff, glider lifting him off the ground and keeping him afloat. Behind him came the Hero of Twilight, who jumped on to his descendant and clambered on to his human vehicle's legs with great effort. Once as secure as the wolf could be holding onto a Hylian's limbs, the duo drifted lazily down towards the beach.

Touching ground, they ran to their deceased query. Happily, they found nothing – animal nor monster – had defiled their breakfast. The two relatives comically licked their lips as their stomachs growled. Putting away his glider, Link then unsheathed the hunting knife at his waist, beginning the arduous process of skinning the buck.

As he did so, he swore he could hear the echoing laughter of a child. It seemed that the Hero of Twilight heard the sound too, as they both turned around to search for the source of the noise. Thinking it was just the wind, the Hero of the Wilds shrugged off his suspicions and continued his work.

Yet the laughter echoed in their ears again.

This time, knife at the ready, Link and the lupine Hero of Twilight turned wholly to where the sound was coming from behind them. Even though they heard it as clearly as the waves crashing down on the beach, there was still no hint as to where the laughing emanated from.

"Who's there?" Link questioned threateningly, trying to bring the mysterious figure out of hiding.

A wild gust of wind blew past the pair. It was almost visible, with the leaves and sprays of water it carried. Link watched the unusually strong sea breeze fly by, hearing the unmistakable cadence of an unknown song upon the winds. The Hero of the Wilds closed his eyes in order to better hear the unbidden tune. It was soft, almost silent, but it sounded like a temple choir chanting three simple notes over and over again in perfect unison. As if they were conducted by a master musician.

Link heard his ancestor growling behind him.

The Hero of the Wilds' eyes shot open, and he whirled around, bow ready to fire at whatever was behind him. Yet he stalled, as he saw something he was hoping he wouldn't see again for some time.

There, a silhouette in a familiar green tunic and hat faced the sea, a white baton in his hand. The apparition commanded the winds with finesse, turning them to and fro to conduct the choir-like song that could be faintly heard by the pair of heroes. With a flourish, he ceased commanding the winds and tucked his instrument into his belt. Turning around, Link recognized the facial features as those a descendent of the Hero's Soul: blue eyes, blond hair, and an angular face all pointed to him being another of the Hero of the Wilds' ancestors. The unknown hero grinned cheekily, his smirk marring the rugged stubble on his jawline.

"Haven't played the winds like that in years. Felt good to bring out the Wind Waker again," commented the mysterious apparition before them. "Hey, Twilight. We were wondering where you wandered off to."

The lupine-hero barked.

Link could only watch the two during their exchange, letting out a sigh and shaking his head, knowing what was to come.

"And you must be the Hero of the Wilds," Link's ancestor pointed out matter-of-factly.

"I am."

"Nice to finally meet you in person. None of us knew what you were like, considering the Hero of Time disappeared completely from the Hero's Soul, and Twilight here just wants to stretch his mangy paws." The wolf responded with an agitated bark. "You know it's true. Anyway, I'm the Hero of Winds, Link."

"Of course," the Hero of the Wilds responded mirthlessly.

The Hero of Winds chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "So, you know why I'm here and you're already a bit annoyed, eh?"

"That about sums it up."

"Well, then no time like the present!" The ghostly hero spoke with unending happiness in his voice, and in the few minutes that Link had known him, he suspected that his ancestor almost always smiled.

The Hero of Winds turned back to the sea. "The winds are really whipping up the sea today, aren't they? Reminds me of my adventures." He took a step into the ocean, stopping when he was knee-high in the salty water. "Always loved the ocean. _She_ always loved the ocean. Hell, we all did. The Great Sea was a part of our lives in so many ways, from traveling to food." Before continuing, the apparition turned his head to Link. "Come on, it isn't that cold."

With little trepidation and wanting to end this seemingly-random halt to his quest, Link did just that. All the while, the Hero of Twilight watched from the shoreline, tail wagging happily as the Hero of the Wilds shivered and cringed upon wadding into the shallow depths to the Hero of Winds.

"You should join us," Link directed at the wolf, receiving a shaking of his head in response. "Spoiled mutt."

"He really is, isn't he?"

Link nodded before asking, "What is it you want me to see?"

"Not see but learn. Come on, you should have figured this out by now. We all have something that keeps us tethered here to you. Some more than others." The Hero of Winds tilted his head towards the Hero of Twilight. "But me, well, I've always had one thing that's kept me here. Close your eyes and you'll see it."

Without waiting any longer, Link did just that. As soon as he did, he heard the telltale signs of a memory that didn't belong to him: laughter, two separate voices, the echoes of a time long gone. It was all there. Just as he had before, Link allowed himself to be enveloped in the memory, willing it to transport him to an unknown place.

* * *

A cold splash of salty water was the first thing he felt. In the warm summer sun, it felt cool on his skin, but the shock of being woken up in such a manner caused the liquid to be unbearably freezing.

The young boy in blue woke with a start. "Huh!? Who… wha-?"

His head turned every which was as his body accommodated to the forced wake-up call. It wasn't long before he noticed, right in front of him, standing on the beach, his sister, Aryll, suspiciously holding a bucket and smiling impishly.

"You need to wake up, big brother! It's already past noon!" Aryll chided with a giggle.

Instead of standing, like his little sister had planned, the young boy, Link, fell back into the warmth of the sand beneath him, basking in it. Almost immediately, he started snoring again as the sun lulled him to sleep. He lazily mumbled, "Just five more minutes, Aryll. Promise. Then we'll go help… grandma…" A loud snore punctuated his mumbled attempt at talking.

Hoping he would be left alone, his little sister had other plans. Link heard the crunching of sand beneath feet before they halted right next to him. Daring to peek up at Aryll, the young boy opened one eye. Once he saw what she had in her hands, his eyes shot open in panic. In her hands was another bucket of what Link could only assume was water.

"Don't you dare," the young boy warned.

"Too late!" Aryll responded gleefully.

Then, she dumped the bucket's cool contents on top of her big brother. For a few moments, all Aryll could hear was a panicked, gurgled scream as Link tried to protect himself from the small waterfall. Once it had ended, he jumped up to his feet, seeing that his entire body was now drenched. However, that wouldn't be the case for long, as the sun would quickly dry him off in a matter of minutes.

Still, the damage was done, there was no way he would be returning to his daily nap.

"Aryll!"

The little girl in question giggled before dropping the bucket in the sand and running away. Shaking himself off, Link chased after her. He would get his payback, he swore to the goddesses.

The siblings ran all throughout Outset Island, earning chuckles from the adults watching their game of tag. Other village children joined in at certain point, chasing after Aryll with Link or halting the brother as he was within feet of his sister. To the people of Outset, the brother and sister were just pursuing their usual shenanigans and welcomed it happily as they enjoyed their childhood.

Eventually, Aryll made her way to the watchtower that stretched out from Outset Island only a few yards into the Great Sea. As fast as she could, the young girl scurried up the ladder. When Link came to the foot of the tower he saw Aryll giggling and sticking her tongue out at her older brother. Biting the playful taunt, the boy in blue followed his sister up the scaling ladder, knowingly smirking all the way. After all, she had cornered herself.

There was no way Aryll would escape Link now.

Pulling himself up to the platform that made the watchtower, Link exclaimed, "I gotcha now!"

But what he saw in front of him dashed away his victorious smirk and made his words seem hollow. Perched all around Aryll, now staring at Link, were at least a dozen seagulls. For whatever reason, the sea-faring birds seemed to like the young blonde girl – enough so to protect her from annoying brothers, at least.

One of the gulls squawked.

"Yeah, that's him," Aryll confirmed amusedly. "I hear he has bait on him."

The use of the word 'bait' caused all of the birds to face the young girl. Now, she had their undivided attention. Pointing at Link to indicate who had the food, Aryll ordered, "Go get it."

Seeing Aryll pointing at her older brother got the point across. The seagulls immediately started flocking to Link, ready for a mid-day meal. The older brother could only scream as the birds pecked at his clothes, searching for the bait that he supposedly had on him.

"Ow, ow… OW! Aryll! Come on! Get these flying rats off of me!" the young boy begged through the squawking and feathers.

His little sister thought on his pleading for a moment, contemplating his words with her finger tapping her chin. "Hm… I don't know, big brother. You were chasing me after all."

"Yeah, I know! Only because you- OW! Not there, you rats!"

Aryll couldn't help but giggle. She dug around in her dress pockets for a moment before bringing out what she was searching for. In her hand were round pieces of food that were liked by almost all animals in the Great Sea: bait.

"You gotta promise you won't chase me anymore, big brother," Aryll stated, laying down the terms of their agreement.

"Fine, fine!" Link agreed within seconds.

"Annnnnd you have to come help grandma, okay?"

"Yeah, okay! Just get these things off of me!"

One more time the young girl giggled, before throwing the bait over her shoulders towards the sea water below. Hearing, rather than seeing, the splash of water, the gulls turned their attention towards the ocean. Noticing bits of floating bait, they quickly sped past Aryll to eat their fill before any denizens living under the Great Sea decided to take the pieces of food for themselves.

After her feathered friends flew away from the watchtower, Aryll turned to her big brother who was lying on the platform near the ladder. She walked over to him, noticing that Link was already annoyed, thanks to his half-lidded eyes that indicated such. His chest rose up and down rapidly as he took in quick breaths to refill his lungs after screaming in fear.

"I hate those things," the young boy admitted to no one in particular. "So, so much."

Finding the entire incident too funny, Aryll busted out laughing at the situation and her brother's sprawled state. Link stood from his prone position. Watching his sister, he couldn't help but start laughing, too. For minutes the siblings guffawed at the incident, tried to recompose themselves, failed, then repeated the cycle again. It was the kind of laughter that would never cease.

But, as all things do, it hesitantly came to an end. Once finished, Link helped his younger sister to her feet. They drifted to the edge of the watchtower, gazing out towards the Great Sea, searching upon the horizon for nothing in particular. At peace, they talked about everything on Outset, enjoying the time they had together.

"I really do love the ocean, big brother," Aryll commented out of nowhere.

Link made a sound of agreement, sharing his love of the sea with his family. "Someday, I want to sail the entire Great Sea. There has to be so much out there we haven't seen. I want to see it all."

His little sister smiled in agreement, taking her telescope out and zooming in on a faraway island. It was too far away to make out the details, but her mind wandered, imagining what could possibly be on such a distant land that was only just above water.

"I want to explore it all, too," said the young girl. "Once we have a ship, we can go wherever we want."

Her older brother chuckled, before turning towards Aryll and holding his fist out to her, pinky extended. "Then pinky promise: when one of us has a ship, we'll both go on an adventure together. We'll be the Traveling Exploring Duo."

Aryll smiled widely, happily wrapping her pinky around her brother's. "That sounds so cool! Nothing will stop us! Just train with Mister Orca more, okay?"

"Deal. Have to defeat any pirates we meet along the way, you know? We can't leave them to harm the innocent."

"Do you really think we'll meet pirates?" Aryll asked excitedly as the siblings turned away from each and continued watching the horizon.

Link laughed. "Who knows? On our great adventure, anything can happen."

* * *

The lapping ocean waves splayed the Hero of the Wilds, drenching him completely. Link opened his eyes, a grimace on his face. He heard laughing from his side, as well as happy barking from behind him.

"Guess you aren't really that much of sea guy, are you?" the Hero of Winds insinuated.

"I prefer mountains," Link replied, trudging out of the water. "Higher up, can scale them anywhere around Hyrule."

"Never was much for climbing. Only did when I saw some vines or rope. Otherwise, my arms were better suited to swimming. Though I'd like to see Hyrule from the highest mountain. It'd be another adventure."

Silence followed as the heroes retreated to the beach to sit in the sand and watch the sun rise further into the sky. It was peaceful, easing the trio. They all took a simultaneous, deep breath, enjoying what seemed like their first break in ages; which, for the Hero of Winds and Hero of Twilight, it may have been just that. But peace can only last for so long.

"You never went on that adventure with your sister, did you?" Link asked his ancestor as he kept staring out towards the sea.

Even though the Hero of the Wilds was right, the Hero of Winds couldn't help but smile humorlessly. "Never. After I saved the Great Sea from Ganondorf, my Zelda – Tetra – and I left. You could say the spirit of Aryll's dream was what drove us."

"Did something happen to her?"

The Hero of the Winds sighed, his smile erased. "A lot happened to her. She was kidnapped by Ganondorf. After I saved her, I made sure she would never come to harm again. So, I left her on Outset Island, with pirates, no less."

"Pirates?"

"That's what our dear princess was back then." The apparition smirked. "Ironic, yeah? I still find it funny, but it was all to hide away from Ganondorf and protect the Triforce of Wisdom."

"Makes sense." Link paused. "But even saving the Great Sea, your sister, and, I'm assuming, Zelda, you still felt like the world was too dangerous for Aryll."

"I did. I guess I was being an overprotective brother. Never could get over the fact that she was kidnapped right in front of me." The Hero of Winds clenched his fists, his hair hiding his face from view. "Have you ever had family taken from you, just like that?" He snapped his fingers. "It's traumatizing. After that, even if it hurts those you care about, you do everything you can to protect them. Even if you have to leave them behind, abandon them. They deserve happiness, and sometimes, only your absence can give them that. Or that's what I believed."

"What you 'believed'?"

"Yes, believed. There was a lot that happened after I left Aryll on Outset Island," the Hero of Winds continued. "Sometimes what you think and what is real are one-in-the-same. But most times, your beliefs never really line up with reality, and you're left paying the consequences. Always remember that. In some cases, allowing people to heal without you, or you healing without them, is the best way to move forward. That being said, you must be absolutely sure that's the case. If it isn't, then they'll never forgive you. In my case, I never forgave myself for what happened."

"And what exactly happened?"

The Hero of Winds chuckled. "That eager to see it now, are you? What happened to the annoyance from earlier?"

Link shrugged. "I know I'm a hero, and I'll help those I don't know. But learning about a person's situation and why they need help, it gives me a better idea of what I can do and who they are. If what they're asking for is in my ability to fix, then I focus on that and knowing how I've helped the world, if only a little. Makes it all the more worthwhile, I think."

"As a good a reason as any," the Hero of Winds approved.

The Hero of the Wilds stood from his position and placed his hand over his heart. "Before we keep going, I need to know your exact reason for being kept here."

His distant ancestor followed suit. "That's fair. Well, if you must know, what's keeping me here is abandonment. Not someone abandoning me, but my abandoning those I loved."

"It wasn't just Aryll then?"

The Hero of Winds shook his head as he walked along the beach, sand surprisingly shifting around his feet. "No. It's a running trend. Come on, I'll show you what else I left behind to pursue what I thought was right."

* * *

 **There you go guys. Just what y'all voted for, a fic about Aryll and Link. Now, to all of you out there, this is going to be about** _ **family relationships**_ **. In other words, the interactions between the siblings as brother and sister, and as nothing – I REPEAT –** _ **nothing**_ **else! Not even going to say what people would mistake this for… but guess ideas like that come with the territory of being a fic writer, huh?**

 **Anyway, brother-sister relationship between Aryll and Link, and issues of abandonment. First chapter went great. I always like doing the chapters before the games so I can set up some ideas and values I think that the Heroes would have. They don't talk much, so drumming up a persona I can go off of for the different Links is pretty fun. But, as always, we must continue past the story, the main game, and tackle the issues that the Hero of Winds is facing. I think it will make for a pretty good story.**

 **Just to let y'all know, I'll be, as of now, doing three chapters – including this one – on Aryll and Wind Waker Link. After that, I'll go off of the survey again. Speaking of, if there's a particular Link you'd like to see in the next section, go vote on the poll on my profile! Or y'all can send me a PM or review, I ain't picky.**

 **Otherwise, hope y'all enjoyed the first chapter. Now, say it with me…**

 **Reviews are appreciatively reviewed, favorites are honorably favored, and follows are as follows: enjoyable to see the notification.**

 **Peace,**

 **nickdaman6**


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